I'll Protect You
by Juwpiter081
Summary: "Remember that day in the Steppe? You tried to kill an Aman solo. You remember what I told you after that? I said 'I'll protect you, no matter what.' I don't break my promises." Flight
1. A Way Home

_**I'll Protect You**_

**Hello all. My name is Juwpiter, and I will be your newest author in FF:XIII. This story is a little bit of a crazy idea I got while at work, and I wanted to take it seriously, so I will put as much effort into this as I can muster. I'll try to keep everyone in character, but I may slip (I've already seen that Lightning will be hard, her personality is simple, yet so rigid, No flexibility! XD) Innuendos aside, I will try to keep you updated on any news that I have to tell you guys.**

**But enough of me, you aren't reading this to learn about me or my mindless ramblings, so, enjoy the story.**

**Edit: Re-posted this chapter with new formatting and some grammatical revisions.  
**

**Name: _I'll Protect You_**

**Timeframe: Nearing the end of Chapter 11 in game, just arriving in Oerba.**

**Word Count: 2743 (story without A/N's)**

**Disclaimer: I did not come up with, own, or create Final Fantasy XIII or it's characters in any way. I own only a copy of the game and a game guide. That is all. I own nothing more.**

**Chapter 1: A Way Home**

* * *

The calm night that rests over Oerba is only a solemn reminder of the pain everyone has faced to get to this point. The fear that everyone has is justified by their brands getting closer and closer to turning them into Cie'th, and ending their mission to protect Cocoon outright. Despite all of this, this band of L'Cie must press on if they hope to save their home.

However, tonight they must rest. The once prosperous town of Oerba is now an empty, barren wasteland crawling with the Cie'th of past residents. Though the pain of returning to their home only to find it gone is great, Fang and Vanille need to stay strong to see Barthandelus stopped and Cocoon saved. They decide to take the group to where they stayed most of the time, a small shack that still had the belongings of Vanille and Fang.

"Well, home sweet home." Fang said as they stepped inside. "It ain't much, but it'll do for tonight." Vanille ran up to her old makeup set, still perched on the windowsill where she left it 500 years ago. "It's been so long…" Vanille spoke as she clutched the box to her chest. "Um…I only count 3 bunks." Sazh said, looking over the bedroom that was just behind the entryway, concealed from the rest of the house. "Well, yeah, that's how it is on Gran Pulse." Vanille said cheerfully. Sazh's chocobo flew out and squealed as it flew towards Vanille, while Sazh's face went long.

"So, we're gonna have to share bunks?" Hope asked, his voice a little worried. "Yep!" Vanille said. Sazh's head hung down as low as possible. "I'm getting too old for this" he sighed. Hope's face showed concern as to who he'll bunk with, but was changed to shock when Snow patted his back. "Don't worry. You can share a bunk with me tonight." Snow's thumb pointed back at himself, with a smile on his face. Hope's face lit up slightly, knowing he'll be safe.

"You'll be bunking with me, old man!" Vanille cheerfully said, skipping over to Sazh, who sighed again. "Too old…" he said as the Chocobo flew back into his afro. "Guess that means you're with me, sunshine." Fang said to Lightning. Lightning sighed as well. She was used to tight living spaces; she shared a single bed with 3 other recruits in GC Training. She turned to the bunk that wasn't claimed yet and placed her gun blade under the cot.

xXxXx

Only about 30 minutes had passed, yet Fang had already finished the meal for the group. "Here we go, a Gran Pulse favorite." She said, setting the pot in the center of the table. Vanille was the first to grab a bowlful of the stew. Hope and Sazh looked at the viscous brown-gray concoction in disbelief. "Uhh….What, exactly, is that?" Sazh asked, with Snow grabbing his bowl worth. "Behemoth meat, stewed, and seasoned with a little chocobo down." Fang said, putting a large piece of meat into her mouth. Sazh, Hope, and the Chocobo all gulped as Fang explained the meal. "Oh..kay." Sazh said, slowly taking up a spoonful of the stew. Hope slowly followed suit. Snow had already finished his first bowl and was ready to grab a second helping.

"You actually ate this stuff?" Sazh asked in bewilderment, his spoonful still hanging in midair. "Yeah. It's actually pretty good." Snow replied as he took up another fork of meat. The chocobo fainted back into Sazh's afro as Hope reluctantly took a bite of the meat. Lightning had yet to grab any food, instead looking out the window into the distance.

"You okay, Light?" Vanille asked, reaching for her second course. "Hmm?" Lightning asked, looking at the young girl. "Oh, I'm fine." Fang finished chewing her meat, then said, "Well, you haven't even touched the stew. You're not hungry?" Lightning shook her head. "No, you're not hungry, or no, it's something else?" Hope asked, concern crossing his face. Lightning looked at the boy and said, "It's nothing. I'm not hungry, that's all." She stood up and walked over to the bedroom, concealed now by a simple cloth draped from the archway.

"She okay?" Vanille asked, grabbing some more stew on her spoon. "Yeah. She's just not used to being in a situation like this." Snow said, setting his bowl down and leaning back to stretch. "Give her time. I'm sure she's just tired."

xXxXx

After dinner, Fang and Vanille cleaned dishes as the rest of the group sat in the 'living area' that was just inside the doorway outside. Sazh was talking about Dajh, and about how they went to the fireworks festival. Vanille's normally cheerful expression turned sad as she heard Sazh talk about his son, whom she cursed and took away from Sazh. She turned away from the conversation, losing herself to all the lies that she wove to hide her true origins. "Vanille?" Fang asked the young girl, breaking the trance she was in. "You alright?" Fang asked, handing the bowl that Snow used to her. "Oh, nothing." Vanille said, her face returning to it's normal happy self. She continued to dry off the dishes that were handed to her by Fang, while Fang worried inside for her friend, who had been through too much at that age, and wondered how she handled it all.

When everyone started to come in to sleep, Lightning was sitting against her cot, polishing her gun blade. "So, which way do you want, pops?" Vanille asked Sazh, who scratched his head and said, "You pick." Vanille then hastily jumped into the cot and faced the wall, prompting Sazh to sigh again. Snow let Hope into the cot first, then looked at Lightning. She looked at him briefly, then back to her weapon. Snow rested in the cot, then pulled out Serah's crystallized tear. "Sweet dreams." He whispered as he held the tear up.

Fang stepped over to Lightning, looking at her with curiosity in her eyes. "You want the wall or the room?" Lightning's face seemed puzzled, though it was still mostly focused on her weapon. "Hmm…Okay then, I guess I'll be taking the wall." Fang crawled over to her part of the cot, gave a long yawn, and drifted to sleep. Lightning soon decided to get her rest as well, putting her back against Fang's and drifting into a deep sleep.

xXxXx

When morning came, Vanille and Fang were already awake and fixing breakfast. This time, the meal was a little more appetizing; fried fish with some bread Vanille made from some herbs still growing in a garden out back. The scent of the food awoke Sazh first, who stepped groggily out of the bedroom. "What's it gonna be this time?" he asked, his voice laced with some fear of what he'll be attempting to eat and the haze of just waking up. "Relax. It's just some fish I caught this morning." Fang said, setting a plate in front of Sazh, who looked at the patties with slight concern. Nevertheless, he ate the meat, as slowly, the other occupants rose to the smells.

Lightning was the last to awaken. Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling, with her hand over her brand. 'Bad dream', she thought, sitting in an upright position. She stretched to wake herself up, then stepped out of the room. By now, almost everyone had eaten, and Vanille was showing her robot Bhakti off to Hope and Snow. Sazh and Fang both watched on from different sides of the house. Fang was the first to notice Lightning enter. "'Morning, sleepyhead." she said, standing up as if to grab a plate. Lightning grabbed the plate herself, sat down and started to eat before anything else.

"Sheesh, not exactly a mornin' person, are ya?" Fang queried, sitting down in the seat next to Light. Snow looked up and asked, "So, how are we getting back to Cocoon?" The question was on the L'Cie's minds, but they didn't actually have a plan to return to Cocoon to stop Barthandelus. But Snow knew that they would find a way. He knew it in his heart. He knew because that's where Serah was, and nothing, not the Fal'Cie, not his focus, not anyone would stop him from rescuing her from her crystal slumber.

Silence was Lightning's best quality. She never wasted any breath, only speaking when necessary. It was Lightning's quiet nature that conflicted so much with Snow's jovial disposition. He could make the most out of the worst problems in the world, such as becoming a L'Cie, or their sudden arrival on Pulse. Or, as Vanille and Fang constantly reminded them, Gran Pulse. It was the worst thing that ever happened to Lightning. She was in a foreign environment. She was not able to find a rhythm. It was as if her gun blade was replaced with Vanille's staff-thing. She knew how it worked, but her style would change completely.

Fang looked at the soldier, her eyes sizing up the soldier's features. She was quite lovely for a cold person. She had a certain charm about her, and Fang could see it. It was evident that, outside of battle, Lightning rarely, if ever, bonded with someone. However, in battle, she was different. Lightning was at home on the battlefield. It really didn't surprise anyone that Fang, who was just as much of a warrior as Light, was able to read her mind in the heat of battle. It was as if they were at their closest in combat, chaining attacks to stun enemies and vanquish foes. It was like watching an extravagant, fast paced dance, perfectly choreographed, a breathtaking view to watch.

But outside of combat, Lightning and Fang were polar opposites. Fang's charm was, well, blunt. She was an extremely flirtatious woman, and seemed to like the soldier's constant distaste for her actions. It was almost as if they were at each other's throats, ready to flick the knife and cut the neck in twine. Lightning never blushed openly, yet her reactions to Fang, while usually ending in the soldier sending the warrior off her feet, was unusually held back. Snow remembered flirting with Light once, and ended up with 2 broken ribs and a broken jaw. That was how he met Serah.

xXxXx

Lightning finished her meal in silence, placing the plate in the sink and turning to the older of the Pulsians. "You know this place well, correct?" her voice was flat, as if ordering Fang to respond. Fang played the part perfectly. "Yes, sir!" she said, standing up straight and faking a salute. Vanille giggled openly at Fang's antics, which seemed to annoy Lightning. "Do you know if there's an airship or airfield nearby?" her voice this time seemed short, as if she was refraining from knocking the Oerban into the floating sphere of Cocoon the hard way. Fang gave a light laugh. "Don't get so tense, sunshine." Lightning hated that name. She knew that Fang was insulting her with it. She pushed it aside, waiting for the other's answer.

Sensing that Light wasn't in a joking mood, 'When is she ever?' Fang asked herself, she said, "I know of only one. It was run down even before we became crystal. Who knows what's there now." Fang didn't seemed worried, she seemed excited. Lightning saw this enthusiasm, and took it with a somewhat apprehensive approach. Last time Fang was this enthused, she tried to grab her ass. Fang was lucky that Vanille was in front of her then, or else Light would've taken Fang's head off.

Vanille piped up, "I know which one you're talking about. The one where you took-" Fang's glare told Vanille not to finish the sentence, which Vanille complied to. Snow and Sazh seemed interested, yet knew that asking may be the worst way to die they could think of, and decided against such actions. Hope naivete seemed to keep him from pressing the issue, much to Snow's relief. 'Last thing I need is Fang _and_ Light mad at me. I'd never see daylight again.' he joked with himself, his hand ruffling Hope's already messy hair.

"Okay, I'll take you. Can you boys watch the house while we're gone?" Fang spoke, leading Light out of the house. Sazh and Snow looked dumbfounded as Vanille tore off after the duo, leaving the 3 behind in a house they had no clue where anything went. Snow looked at the door, then said, "I hope Vanille knows not to try to get between those two…" Sazh agreed as Hope just stared at the robot Vanille called Bhakti, it's readout fuzzy and jumbled from age.

xXxXx

Fang and Vanille were already a few paces ahead of Lightning, which surprised the Oerbans. "Guess Light's a little tired?" Vanille asked, pointing a thumb at the pink-haired soldier. "That or she's checking me out." Fang joked, silently, so Light wouldn't hear. Vanille stifled a laugh as she glanced back at Light. "Try to keep up!" The redhead shouted as she ran to the old airfield.

It was more of an aircraft hanger. It looked like it had taken the brunt of a powerful spell, like Firaga. Vanille's face went from excited to aggravated. She huffed, placing both hands on her hips, and said, "Guess it's farther along then we thought." Fang gave a short sigh, her fingers tracing the door of the majestic hanger. "Maybe. Maybe not." she spoke to the younger, just as Lightning stepped into the door. "Hey, watch yourself." Fang said, hastily following the stubborn soldier. Vanille followed and gasped at what they saw.

They saw no airship, but instead several Taxim Cie'th patrolling the hanger. Lightning drew her Blazefire, and Fang automatically drew her Bladed Lance. Vanille grabbed her Binding Rod, giving the pair a confirming huff, signaling the music. The two older girls lunged at a different Taxim, ambushing them with a flurry of attacks and magic. Vanille, though a capable fighter in her own right, wasn't able to keep up with the duo as they performed each step flawlessly. She found it much easier, and much more entertaining, to watch the duo perform the dance that was their combat awareness and effortless swings. They were a blur invisible to even a trained eye, and the only indication that they were even there, and not just some illusion or mind trick, was the wind whistling past them and their spells. Well, more Lightning's spells. Fang never trusted magic.

The few lone Cie'th fell in minutes, Fang's breathing rate increased. Light's breathing had increased also, but for a reason other than Fang's. "Guess there's nothing here anymore." Fang said finally, breaking the awkward silence that Vanille was ready to just shout to do so. "Hm." Was Light's response, and the trio stepped out to the harsh sunlight.

xXxXx

Light took point now, with Vanille and Fang falling in behind her. Fang's eyes, with their flirtatious and sultry expression, looked at Light's backside with great enjoyment. Her mind was thinking of any kind of pickup line that she could throw at the soldier. Vanille, however, tugged at her sari, telling her not to even try. Fang's broken eye contact came just as Light sprinted of to the house. "In a hurry there, Sunshine?" Fang shouted at the fleeting woman, a sigh forming when she did not return the answer. Vanille's voice broke her trance, "Fang, you there?"

It was exactly what Fang needed; a distraction. Vanille's smile always cheered her up, for as long as she could remember. Vanille was Fang's little sister, who she swore to protect. She never, ever backed down from an enemy who wished to hurt Vanille. Her bond with her adoptive sister was more than anyone could sever. More than anyone would ever have.

The two began to walk the steps of the house when a voice, familiar but not recognized, spoke out to them.

"Fang! Vanille!"

The two looked over in the direction of the voice to see a man, slender, built similarly to Fang, leap down from his perch on a church steeple, landing with grace. He too was a L'Cie, his mark whitened out, like Fang's.

"I've been looking for you two. Where were you?" the stranger asked.

He could tell, after a few seconds, and the greeting he got, that something was wrong. The next words spoken were by Fang, her voice no more than an challenging hiss.

"Who are you?"

* * *

**Sorry if it seems short, will try to make sure later updates will be longer. Couldn't fit more in without it seeming crowded.**

**I'll try to write a few chapters ahead before I actually post a chapter. So, I will probably already have the next chapter, and maybe the one after that, written out before you see this.**


	2. Remembering an Old Friend

_**I'll Protect You**_

**Hi again. Chapter 2 here, waiting for your eyes to read. I really think that this story, as a whole, is my best work, though I guess I am a little conceded .. I try not to be though, so I'll try to be truthful about how I feel about these posts. You guys won't enjoy my writing if I don't enjoy it, right?**

**There it is again. Oh well, I tried. Enjoy Chapter 2**

**Edit: Same as Chapter 1.  
**

**Name: _I'll Protect You_**

**Timeframe: Just after the previous chapter (in this story)**

**Word Count: 3738**

**Disclaimer: I did not come up with, own, or create Final Fantasy XIII or it's characters in any way. I own only a copy of the game and a game guide. That is all. I own nothing more.**

**Chapter 2: Remembering an Old Friend**

* * *

The young man's eyes looked into Fang's green orbs with confusion in them. He couldn't seem to bear Fang's hostility towards him. He cast his gaze onto Vanille, who was also apprehensive, her hands in a brawler-like stance. Fang had withdrawn her lance already, holding it loosely in her left hand, her right shielding Vanille from the stranger.

His face was battle hardened, but soft and kind. He was a little taller than Fang, though nowhere near as tall as Snow. He had short, slicked back brown hair that stayed out of his brown eyes. He wore what looked like a brown leather vest, with one strap on his right side, that went down to his navel. He wore a white silk cloth, that went to just before his wrist, on his left shoulder, taking on a look similar to Raines. He had a pair of light but thick fur pants that went to his knees, and a pair of black leather boots that came up to the middle of his shins. Fang could also make out a short, flowing blue cape, as thin as his left sleeve, but less supported, centered down his back. His L'Cie brand was on his stomach, just above and to the right of his navel. On his back, keeping his cloak from flapping like a flag in a windstorm, was a large, red axe, similar in appearance to Fang's Bladed Lance. It had the words "Oerba" and "Gamenern" written on it, much like how Fang had her name written on hers.

The man looked at Fang and put a hand up, as if trying to settle down a group of restless children. "Relax." he spoke, his voice unusually kind for just coming out of the blue and trying to strike up a conversation with them. "I'm not here to fight. Actually, I'm kinda sad. How'd you guys forget me?" his voice sounded playful, but Fang still didn't listen to the man.

"Remember you?" she growled, her grip on the lance tightening, her teeth gritting. "How do you forget someone you don't even know?" her voice may have alarmed the rest of the L'Cie, for they took a peek out to see the stranger, looking back at them with confusion. "Anima must've really messed you guys up…" he scratched his head, his voice loud enough for Vanille to hear. "Anima? You know of it?" she inquired, moving around Fang's right arm. Fang moved to try and keep her safe, but Vanille looked at her with that 'Don't baby me!' look in her eyes. Fang reluctantly dropped her arm, allowing Vanille to approach the stranger.

Lightning and the group were as apprehensive as Fang at the moment, but seemed less likely to attack him, especially with Vanille in the line of fire. Lightning still withdrew her Blaze Edge, the gun blade slicing the air as it unfolded to it's sword form.

Vanille looked the boy in the eyes. He seemed flustered, embarrassed. She thought of Fang whenever she did this to the warrior. She explored the man's hazel eyes for a moment, before asking him "What do you know Anima?" in a tender voice. He sighed as he tried to think how to best put into words what he needed to say. "Anima…" he started, looking around at the ruins of his former home. "Anima made me, and all of you-" he pointed his finger out, taking care not to hit Vanille, maybe due to an angry Oerban and her friends being within a second of reaching him. He panned it, from Fang (on his far right), all the way to Sazh (on the far left) and finished "L'Cie" Everyone seemed to tense at this. How did he know this? Was he a friend? Was he an illusion? Lightning didn't wait for an answer. She lunged at the man, hoping that an ambush would make it possible to hit him before he could recover.

Lightning was deflected by an agility far beyond her own, sending a gasp of shock throughout the watching L'Cie. Lightning felt humiliated. How did he do that? She wondered. She recomposed herself and tried again, this time to be countered, the man using her own momentum to flip her over, pinning her under his axe's long handle, disarming her. He then pointed her gunblade at the rest of the group, using the weapon with such ease, it rivaled Lightning's use of it.

"I didn't come to fight you." he said, casting a look at the group that conveyed his words. He looked down at Lightning, who seemed flustered, and said, "Promise that you won't try to kill me if I let you have this back?" he asked playfully, almost jokingly. He folded the gun blade into it's compact gun form, handing it to Lightning, then let her out from the pin he had on her. "I don't make promises." was her cold reply, hiding the fire that had been burning inside, and forcibly took the weapon back.

He put his axe on his back, looking at Fang, wishing she would do the same. She only tightened the grip more, the knuckles in her left hand becoming white and obviously stiffening up from the pressure. "You hold that any tighter, and you might break it in half, Fang." he joked, pointing at the lance. "Or you hand." Fang's grip loosened, not from the man's suggestions, but because he was right. The man looked again at Vanille, then said, "I can prove that something is messing with your memories. I'll tell Vanille here something that happened 500 years ago, right before we-" he motioned at himself, Fang and Vanille. "Became crystal."

Vanille leaned towards the man, lending her ear to him as he whispered something about the past. Her eyes widened as she heard something that no one else knew about, but then said, "It's true." Fang gapping at the response. "He did know us, Fang. Maybe Anima really did mess with our minds. I know he did it to you before." Fang's eyes cast themselves downward as she remembered waking up in Bodhum, not remembering her Focus or what she was doing there.

Sazh was the first to speak after a fairly long silence. "Well, if the girl trusts ya, then I see no reason why I shouldn't." he spoke, stepping down from the house, moving to greet the man. "Name's Sazh Katzroy." He extended his hand, the man returning the favor. "Your's?" Sazh asked. The man let out a sigh, "You probably won't believe that, either." he looked at Fang, a look that somehow seemed so familiar, yet so distant, in his eyes. "My name's Oerba Yun Gamenern."

Fang and Vanille's jaws would've hit the dirt had they not been attached to their heads. Everyone else seemed confused. "Wait. You're Fang's brother?" Snow asked, confusion in his voice, as it was in everyone's eyes. "Eh, yes and no. No, I am not directly related to Fang. It's our Clan name." Gamenern spoke, his eyes connecting with every person in the area. "I was orphaned at age 4. I lived with Fang's parents till they died in the war, 2 years later." his words stung at Fang's heart. He had that part true. "We were put into an orphanage together. That one." He motioned towards the run down building that he jumped off of.

"I'm not a blood relative, no." He continued, "But she was- no, _is_-the closest thing I have to a sister." His voice seemed light, filled with sorrow. Vanille then felt sorrow, for she remembered that it was in that orphanage, after the Cocoon attack on Oerba, leaving her orphaned, that she met Fang. If this man, Gamenern, really spoke the truth, there's no doubt that she met him too. Fang then cast a look of disgust at the man who claimed to be her Clan brother, grip tightening on her lance once more. "You are not my brother." She growled, lunging at Gamenern the same way Lightning did.

Sazh had to jump away to avoid the flying warrior, who went straight on the offensive. Gamenern used his will, his hands and magical augments, to deflect every attack effortlessly. He then attempted to use Fang's momentum like Lightning's, but the warrior seemed to anticipate it, and rolled, pulling him into a headlock.

Then suddenly, she felt her head starting to spin. Gamenern didn't attempt to hit her, let alone try to knock her lights out. "Damn…Lady…Luck…" she swore before consciousness faded from her.

xXxXx

_Fang sat on the bed side, facing away from the boy her age sitting next to her. "I will not watch over that crybaby!" she snapped, arms folded across her chest. The young boy, maybe 6, with brown hair and eyes, tried to reason with the girl. "Guardian said we need to watch over a younger orphan. She's the one we got." he looked at the orphan in question. She sat in a corner, knees to her chest, sobbing quietly. She was no more than 4 years old, her long red hair tied into two pigtails, braided several times, with a light blue bow at the end of each one._

_"I don't care what Guardian says. I'm not watching over that brat." the young Fang scowled._

_"Come on, Fang!" the boy protested, trying to convince his sister, from the way things looked._

_"No, Gamenern!" Fang responded, her voice harsh and cold. As if it were in a dream, those words echoed as if being played by every wall in the room._

xXxXx_  
_

Fang shot straight up, her face covered in a cold sweat. She was inside the house, looking at the cot she slept in as a young adult. "Woah, bad dream…" She said, looking around, then feeling like her head was just stomped on by an adamantoise. "Oh, I really need to lay off the liquor." she said groggily, which was answered with a light chuckle. Fang shot around to face the source of the noise, only to lose her sight to dizziness. She held her head in her right hand, while her left held her right. The man who chuckled placed his hand on hers, and muttered some spell. She soon felt the dizziness and grogginess fade to nothing. She then saw a face with brown eyes smiling at her.

"Trust me, you haven't hit the hard stuff in a while."

Fang seemed to smile at this, remembering her antics as an older teen. "I, I remember now. It hit me all at once." she confessed, her eyes glancing at the window in the room, light seeping in carefully. The man spoke. "Vanille's memory came back too, but hers wasn't as, shall I say, shocking?" Gamenern then sat next to Fang on the cot and placed his left arm around her body, hugging her brotherly. "Don't worry about the forgettin' me part. You just worry on staying alive." he spoke to his Clan sister in a caring, soothing way.

The two sat in this way for only about five seconds before Lightning walked into the room, her gazed locking with Gamenern's, her mouth opening to speak. "I need to talk to you. _Alone_." She added, looking at the warrior. Fang gave a slight huff then said, "Fine." And stood up. Lightning took a seat across from where Gamenern rested, looking at the warrior, then back at Gamenern. The Pulsian woman had barely walked out of the room when Lightning asked, "Who are you? Really?" Her cold, cynical voice piercing the quiet of the room. Gamenern scratched the back of his head, looking at the soldier. "I thought I already told you that. Vanille and Fang remember me now." he seemed confused, and frankly, worried. Light's eyes didn't falter. "Why the sudden arrival now? Why weren't you with them on Cocoon when they woke up?" Again, cynical. Gamenern humored her.

"I woke up here on Gran Pulse. It was night, about 2 weeks ago. Maybe more." He started, looking down to remember the voyage he made to get here. Lightning's mind was working overtime, piecing the puzzle together. 'About the time Vanille and Fang woke up.' she thought, still glaring at the young man. "You probably saw the large Fal'Cie on the Archylte Steppe. That's Titan, the Fal'Cie in charge of basically all life on Gran Pulse. He oversees the evolution of the strongest races and the demise of the weakest." Gamenern let a short sigh out before continuing.

"I was forced to prove my worth. To take his trials in the Faultwarrens. It was difficult, yes, but I accrued some, let's say, unique powers." he saw the question in Lightning's eyes before she even knew she did. "I don't know about all of them. But…" he looked at Lightning with a slight smile, pointing at her heart. "I can sense that's where your brand is. It's also progressed quite far, about 70% of the way." Lightning instinctively held her hand to the brand, then cast a glare at Gamenern. "Don't worry, I can only see the brand. Nothing more." He added, quickly but calmly. Lightning still held no trust for the man.

"Why show up now? I'm sure that you have had the time to find us until now." Lightning's voice had softened somewhat, and she made a note of it. 'You can't trust him. He could be the enemy.' her voice shot out, but she countered by saying, 'Then what's the Sanctum?' her internal debate ended rather quickly, as Gamenern broke her thoughts. "I tried, but I was held up. I figured that I should come here, you know, see it myself." His eyes looked downcast as he continued. "I heard from Titan that all life within a 2 week journey of here was either slaughtered by Fal'Cie of turned into Cie'th." He cast his look to the sun seeping in from the sheet on the window. He walked to it, a sigh forming as he reached it.

"It was beautiful." he said softly, turning to Lightning. "Flowers everywhere, people laughing, children playing. You wouldn't know there was a war if we weren't so close to Cocoon." He looked up at the sphere, it's green-white hue reflecting the Pulsian sunlight in a beautiful rainbow of colors. "Vanille was really happy here. She seemed so carefree. So energetic. It was unusual for someone her age at that time." Lightning didn't follow. "We were at war." He said, as if it were obvious. "We lived in fear, every day could be the end." his eyes watered as he spoke. "Most people were wed by age 16. They had children starting at age 17. Vanille is well beyond that age. Never had a romantic relationship." He then gave a sudden chuckle. "Fang never let her."

Inadvertently, Lightning turned away, her inquired expression turning to hatred. Gamenern was good at reading faces; he saw through her attempt to cover it up. "You're jealous." he stated. It wasn't a question. "Why?" He seemed to know that the soldier, quiet from what he had seen, would be hard pressed to answer the question. And she didn't. Gamenern sighed. "You're jealous of Fang and Vanille." Lightning shot a quick "No!" at him, catching herself after the fact. 'Too fast.' She thought. Gamenern had the answer. "You like Fang." Was his deduction.

He barely had time to react to Lightning's fist flying at him, her face angry. He caught her right hook, then deflected her left, before giving her a slight push back. "Hmm." He said, a smile creeping onto his face. "Hit a soft spot." He gave a short chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm kidding, by the way. I can see you don't have time for that kinda thing." he sat back down on the bed he got up from, looking on as Lightning slowly did the same. "Fang was always, how do I put this?" Gamenern's mind tried to find the right word to describe his sister. "Flirty." he said with justification in his voice. "I won't go into details, but she had that air about her. I wouldn't see it as weakness if you found yourself, attracted?, to her." he seemed to be speaking playfully to her, but inside Lightning had a war to fight.

_He's right, you know. You do treat Fang differently than everyone else._

I do not.

_Admit it. She's grown on you._

Shut up.

Gamenern saw the internal conflict and asked, "Lightning?" The redhead looked at the boy, then said. "Alright. Guess you can be trusted for now." He voice returned to that cold, cynical tone she began to interrogate him with. "But I will still cut you down if you show the slightest bit of betrayal." her voice was no more than a growl as she walked out, her cape flowing proudly behind her. Gamenern gave a slight sigh, shaking his head. "Fang…"

xXxXx

Outside, everyone was looking intently at the sheet that Gamenern was just walking out of, a look of concern and confusion on his face. He made eye contact with Vanille, his face feeling warm as he could tell he was blushing. "What'd I do this time?" he asked, his voice laced by a light laugh. Vanille huffed as she walked over to him, grabbed his arm, and dragged him to the door. He gave a quick glance back to the rest of the L'Cie, a range of expression visible. Fang had a sly smile on her face, while Sazh and Hope looked a little scared. Snow had a similar smile to Fang's, but Lightning was unreadable, her face more annoyed than anything. He then looked at the back of the young girl's head and asked. "Where are we going, Vanille?" he seemed genuinely confused. This wasn't normal. Even for Vanille. She gave another huff. "Just keep up.' Her voice sounded annoyed, Gamenern's confused smile turning over instantly.

He followed in silence as the pair walked, at a brisk pace, to the old school playground he, Fang and Vanille gathered at to play when they were kids. He traced his hands over the see-saw that he once rode, looking at a large gash that had been etched into the metal in Pulsian. "Yun Gamenern. Yun Fang. Dia Vanille." it read, the engravings worn down but still there. "Remember when we did this?" He asked Vanille, still tracing the engravings as if looking for another.

Vanille didn't respond as quickly as Gamenern expected, or hoped for. He turned to the girl, only seeing her hair. "Vanille?" he asked again, his hand placed on her shoulder. He felt a soft heave as he did so, the quiet sob that was released confirming that she was indeed crying. "I, I missed you." she said, sorrow heavy in her voice. Gamenern brought the girl into his chest, his arms wrapping around her back. "I missed you too. Both of you." He said, Vanille's sobs heaving him as well. "But we're back together. We've got each other. And everyone else." he leaned his head towards the house as Vanille backed away to see the boy's face.

Her heart warmed as she heard his words. They were the same ones that Fang used after they defeated Hecotancheir, and Vanille opened up about her memories. "I know." her voice was still wet from the tears, but she seemed so strong. "But still…" her voice trailed off as she looked up at Cocoon. "We have to destroy that to complete our Focus. That's what it is. To destroy Orphan and Cocoon. Bring the Maker back." She recalled Barthandelus's words to the group in their last encounter. Gamenern shook his head.

"We won't destroy Cocoon." His voice was calm, shocking Vanille. "What?" she gasped, taking a step back. Gamenern regained his posture after Vanille left his arms. "What I mean is, we won't destroy it in the same way we tried to last time." He knew about the whole Ragnarok business. "Fang won't let it come to that. And neither will I." Vanille let a soft smile creep onto her face. "Gamenern…" she seemed lost, her eyes locked with the older boy's brown orbs. She felt soothed by him just as much as by Fang. She really looked up to them. Gamenern gave her a slight nudge as he walked past her. "We're gonna need to head back inside. It's getting late." Vanille agreed, then followed the boy swiftly to the small shack they all stayed in.

Vanille was inside first, and Gamenern stayed on the porch, looking at the square that lay before it. A few particles of the crystal dust flew up with the wind, adding a chilling howl to the cries of the Cie'th that were once the noble and calm residents of Oerba. Gamenern felt his heart wrench. 'It's really gone…' he told himself, as if still in disbelief. He remembered when he hunted his first hunt. When he met his first girlfriend. Shared his first kiss…

xXxXx

He was interrupted by a hated presence, inviting itself into his home. He could tell, just from the way the wind howled, who it was, but he smirked when the old man appeared. "Hello Barthandelus." Gamenern said, as if talking to an old friend. The Primarch failed to acknowledge the greeting. "Pitiful and weak, that's what you are." the old man's voice was disgusted. "I see now why you need us. You can't live without the constant babying." Gamenern laughed, then yelled, coaxing the rest of the group from the house. "Barthandelus!"

It wasn't long before the man had teleported the road, Gamenern had reached the bottom of the stairway, and the group had exited the house. They looked at the Primarch with hatred building. "Dysley." Snow growled, his fists as tight as he could make them. Barthandelus laughed.

"The place where it all began. Oerba. The home of Ragnarok, the culler of Cocoon. It was here." He teleported away, his voice still lingering. "That your fates as a L'Cie were sealed." He reappeared just behind Gamenern. The young man swung his axe swiftly, but the illusion faded. He growled. "Show yourself, you coward!"

The full form of the Fal'Cie appeared this time, anchored in the center of the large square. It had what looked like a mask over his face, his usual shoulder pads gone, and said "Use your hatred. Become Ragnarok. Free Cocoon from it's impending doom."

* * *

**Any questions about the story, please add it to your review, as well as what you think. I'll try to update often, as this is the only project I have at the moment. I've been trying to format these differently, so that the true version doesn't look so cluttered. (Will try to fix that soon if it doesn't fix with this update)**

**Anyway, see you all in Chapter 3.**


	3. Revelations

_**I'll Protect You**_

**Back! Hope you guys are enjoying this. I really am starting to like how this is coming together myself, and hopefully it grabs your attentions and keeps them. Thanks for all of the reviews guys, I really enjoy seeing others like my work.**

**And so here's Chapter 3**

**Edit: Reformatted and fixed any grammatical errors.  
**

**Word Count: 3575**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing from the Final Fantasy franchise, except for some games and game guides.**

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

* * *

Before Barthandelus could even finish speaking, Lightning and Fang unleashed a fury they had yet to unleash on anything before. Gamenern's speed and power complimented the duo's style very well, his knowledge of Fang's tendencies allowing him to recognize Lightning's tendencies as well.

Hope, Vanille and Sazh all began to support the group where possible, slinging all manner of buffs, debuffs, and cures, hoping that the fight against the Fal'Cie was quick. Snow tried to help by slinging his magic at the monster, though it harmlessly bounced of.

Lightning, Fang, and Gamenern had enjoyed little luck as well. Barthandelus had yet to really try, his form grossly different from the one the group fought on the _Palamecia_. This form was white, his face hidden behind a mask of some sort, his shoulder pauldrons and ailettes missing. Despite this weakened appearance, Barthandelus was anything but weak, his focused magic beams hitting whoever happened to stay still long enough to get hit by them.

"This repetition bores me." Barthandelus said, and with a flash of light, he took a new form; the same as the one on the _Palamecia_, but with his overall tone being white. Snow was the first to take notice of the newfound dangers of this form, and quickly began to guard the 2 younger members while they, with Sazh, shot spells at the large, indomitable Fal'Cie.

Gamenern then noted the weakness he needed; The neck. Using a gesture that Fang knew all to well, she tried to get the message across to Lightning. The 3 then unleash whatever they had at the Fal'Cie.

Lightning attacked first, her speed allowing her to get her blade to dig into the armor of the monster. She hacked several times, back flipped, then shot it with her gun, lunging again with a fierce uppercut. She came downward with a twirl, then gave a pointblank, driving gunshot to the monster, causing a crack to form near it's neck region.

Sazh caught on. Without any signal, he began to unleash a volley of bullets and magic upon the mark, trying to open it up. Fang and Gamenern constantly swung their weapons at it, trying to build the crack in size. It seemed to grow, but it only angered Barthandelus more. He swung a menacing hand that would've hit Hope and Vanille, had Snow not been guarding them. He deflected the hit effortlessly, then struck at the gash himself, adding to it's growing size.

Hope and Vanille began to unleash whatever magic they had, dealing what they could to the crack. Barthandelus's strength seemed to fade with the crack growing more and more. Lightning and Sazh still unleashed their respective Limits onto to the crack, the size growing until it was the size of Gamenern. "Now!" Was the signal that everyone waited for.

xXxXx

Snow, Fang and Gamenern charged at once. Fang and Snow leaped as high as they could, hitting the crack with all the force they could muster. It shattered it, showing a gaping amount of magic inside. Gamenern then lunged at him, a viscous uppercut sending Barthandelus's right arm away from his body, the arm and 'wings' fading to nothing. Then, after slowing to a stop in a matter of a foot, he struck the open wound with everything behind him, sending a white light throughout the schoolyard.

When the light faded, Barthandelus's body slowly melted away, fading into a light, and seemed to dissipate into a shower of light. Even after the Fal'Cie vanished, no one relaxed. The tension that built was choking the life out of everyone. They didn't know what to expect. Gamenern spoke first, his voice carried on by his hatred for the Fal'Cie.

"Show yourself, coward!"

Dysley showed again, floating inches off the ground. "You call me a coward?" he asked, his voice cynical and angry. "You are the ones abandoning your focus. You would rather become a Cie'th than see your focuses completed, is that it?" Fang's face distorted with rage. She would die before she saw Vanille turn Cie'th. Her grip on her lance tightened to a point that her hand hurt, but she didn't falter, preparing to lunge at the monster.

Then Gamenern saw it, the rukh Menrva. He could tell that Barthandelus was linked to it, so he did what he needed to. Casting a spell he learned from Titan, he bound the bird in a small, magic cage. This rendered Dysley weakened, unable to teleport.

"I've had enough of you, monster." Gamenern spoke, the normally kind voice turning into a dark, menacing tone. "You killed more people than you swore to protect." Gamenern's voice broke after this, struggling to find the words. "You killed my family!"

Fang and Vanille gasped at this. They remembered. Barthandelus came in the night. The attack was swift, silent, deadly. Gamenern, Fang, Vanille. They were orphaned because of this man. Rage built inside of Fang, she wanted to lash out.

"Without your familiar, you're all talk, Barthandelus." Gamenern continued. "You have no powers beyond our own." Lightning's mind clicked. Dysley was vulnerable. Without thought, she charged, gun blade ready to strike down the Fal'Cie.

She was stopped by Dysley forming a crystal of a L'Cie in her way. Serah's. She shifted direction, not wanting to hit the crystal. She shot at herself, 'It's an illusion. Barthandelus enjoys this trickery.' She lunged again, but the man was swift. He took to the air, out of Light's reach. "You're a sick bastard, you know that?" she shouted, her weapon trained on him and his familiar.

"Guys, that's a real crystal." Gamenern said, to the awe of the whole group. "Barthandelus's illusionary powers come from his familiar. Without it, he cannot make a stable illusion." His words sent Snow running to the crystal. "Serah!" he shouted, grabbing his fiancee's hand in his own, not wanting to let go.

Up above, Barthandelus let out a sick, dark laugh. "You humans are much too compassionate. It may be this reason that Ragnarok can only take form inside your bodies." He then looked at the crystallized Farron. "Perhaps, then, I could give you the catalyst for his summoning." the man aimed his staff at the crystal and cast a spell.

xXxXx

Everything went fuzzy, it seemed. A light, brighter than the sun, shone from Serah's crystal. Snow stumbled away, shielding his eyes from the light, as did everyone else. Gamenern still held his grip on the spell binding Menrva. The light faded slowly, as if it was being dimmed by a lack of oxygen. When the light faded completely, the view everyone looked at caused shock to set in, followed by sadness.

The crystal that was once Serah had been shattered, pieces on the ground and Snow's feet. His eyes widening as he saw the result of the Fal'Cie's spell. "Now," Barthandelus said, taunting the group, "Use that anger. Strike down Cocoon."

Gamenern had enough. The spell on Menrva tightened, first twofold, then fivefold, then tenfold. It reached a hundredfold before the creature faded into a small shower of light. Gamenern then hit Barthandelus with a powerful, forceful spell. "Go back to Cocoon, bastard." were the words from Gamenern's mouth as he flung the spell at Barthandelus, forcing the man back to Cocoon in a shower of lights.

Realization hit quick. Lightning's normally emotionless face was contorted with fear, sorrow, _anger._ Tears that normally never show on Lightning's persona showed, flowing freely from her eyes. She failed. She failed Serah, Snow, herself. It took everything the soldier had to not break down and cry, losing herself to an emotional tornado that hit her like a speeding train.

Snow wasn't as lucky. His knees gave out, his hands, eyes, body trembling uncontrollably. "Serah…?" He asked shakily, realizing now, in front of his eyes, his love was gone. She wasn't coming back He fell to his hands, looking as if he was praying to some god that didn't listen to his pleas. "Serah!" he cried, sobs now taking over, heaving his body with each one.

Vanille had already lost herself to her tears. She tried to form her Prayer Symbol with her hands, but broke down before she did, turning to Fang, burying her face into Fang's body, sobbing quietly, uncontrollably, into the blue silk. Even Fang, who never knew Serah, had to feel some sorrow. She understood that Vanille to her was like Serah to Lightning. Her face, however, was stronger than anyone else's, not once showing her true emotions.

Sazh hung his head and fell to a knee. He murmured a prayer he knew of that was recited when someone was lost. Hope joined him, his head hung down as he spoke. Hope was unfaltering strong through this, though he kept thinking, 'This is it. Barthandelus has won.' He tried to not think of what may happen with the counterattack he knew was coming.

Gamenern then formed the same Prayer Symbol that Vanille was going to, but his thumbs were at a 90 degree angle of his index finger, unlike Vanille's. He began to mutter a chant in the ancient tongues, catching Fang's attention. "What is he..?" She said, looking with intent at the young man.

xXxXx

Inside a dark place, Gamenern was searching for something or someone. Light seemed to shine through some clouds as it revealed to be a darker version of Oerba, exactly where he was right now in the real world. He looked for indications of a presence. When he saw, or rather, heard, a faint noise, he investigated. It lead him to his old orphanage, where he could sense his prize inside.

He stepped in to find a lavender sphere of light, floating with what looked like curiosity, over a picture of Fang and Vanille. "Come, Everyone's waiting." Gamenern spoke to the sphere. It came to him, and when it was close enough, he grabbed it and held it inside him. He reformed the hand sign he used to get to this world, and everything fell away to where and when he was right now.

He then spoke the word "Holy." softly, almost without breath. From his hands, which he formed a cup, the same sphere he had found in the other world was now here. He gathered more energy, using it to try to give the sphere it's destination.

Suddenly, the wind shifted. A vortex began to gather Serah's fragmented crystal, piecing it together like a puzzle. Snow, who looked up at the wind, gaped, as did Lightning and Fang. The crystal seemed to retake the shape of Serah's crystal, though cracks that formed from it's shattering were apparent. "Serah..?" Snow asked, his voice hoarse from the sobs he lost himself to.

The light then darted towards the crystal, bathing it in a lavender light. It blinded everyone, but Lightning and Snow somehow stared through it, in awe. The crystal seemed to mend, but then it faded away. As it did, Serah's body was left, hanging, defying gravity. The crystal faded upwards, releasing the rest of Serah's body from the gemlike prison. When the entire thing had vanished, Serah's limp, but intact body, fell into Snow's arms.

There was a moment of disbelief as Gamenern, tired from the spell, collapsed behind Fang and Vanille. The two didn't notice him; they looked at Snow and Serah, she seemed lifeless but real. Lightning's eyes were more unreadable than ever. The silence seemed to drag on for ages, but finally, a soft, tired voice broke it, reassuring and calming.

"My…hero..?" she spoke, apparently coming from Serah. Snow perked up at this, his grip on his love tightened. "Serah, is it really you?" His voice was weak as tears began to take over once more. Serah gave a light chuckle, as if it was old news. "Of course, silly." her silent laugh heard only by Snow. Lightning's eyes gave a sense of hope as she finally spoke, her voice unusually shaken. "Serah?"

The small redhead turned, her eyes making contact with her older sister's. Serah had a lighthearted smile on her face, while Light had a shaken one. She couldn't believe it. 'Serah's really here. She's alive." The thoughts in Lightning's head faded to nothing as the redhead ran to her sister, a tackling hug hitting her. "Oh, don't cry, Light. You need to be strong." Serah spoke up. Lightning's mind ran rampant with emotions, and the soldier let a smile grace her face, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Serah…"

Fang, however, made an about-face. She looked at the collapsed Gamenern, conscious but weak. "What the hell kinda trick was that, hmm?" She roared, pulling the man to his feet forcibly. Sazh and Hope, both tending to the man, took a large step back. "Fang, I…" Gamenern started, but was interrupted by a fist to his cheek. "Are you toying with us?" Fang's anger seethed, her teeth gritting with rage as the man was sent at the pilot, who scurried quickly to avoid the flying body.

Gamenrn landed with a grunt, his left hand rubbing the cheek where he was blasted. "You really aren't trusting, are you?" he asked, a slight cure spell soothing the heat that was forming from the impact. Snow, Lightning, Serah and Vanille all looked at the pair of Pulsians. "I just saved that girl from a fate worse than death." He didn't mean to sound angry, but he did.

"What was that?" Lightning shot at him, her hand on her gunblade. Gamenern sighed apologetically. "Sorry. Guess I got emotional." He spoke, his words not soothing Light, but made her less wary. "The spell I used was Holy. It can be used to bring someone back from death, but it has a window of opportunity." the man said, standing up and walking towards Fang. "I learned it after I took the Trials." he gazed into the distance, apparently towards Titan's lair.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I had to rush. I couldn't lose focus while casting the spell because I could've lost her soul. If I hadn't found her soul-" Gamenern continued, looking at Serah with slight sadness, "She wouldn't be able to stay here, in the living world. But her spirit would not pass on to the spirit world. It's a cruel punishment for an unjust fate. If your crystal is shattered," he looked at Fang now, a fiery intensity in his eyes, "You are punished. The Fal'Cie see it as a weakness, a failure. That's why I'm fighting against them."

Serah gave a concerned look to Lightning, who still looked at the young man. Her eyes were unreadable, even to Serah, who knew more about her than anyone ever would. Snow looked thankful, his eyes closing as he said the words. "Thank you, Gamenern." Gamenern gave a nod to the large lug. "Light thanks you too. She just can't articulate it as well." Lightning shot a glance at Snow, a cold look on her face. "Wow. Big words there, Snow. Look into a dictionary lately?" Snow and Serah laughed at the remark, Serah being the one to speak. "There's the Lightning I know." This forced a smile onto Light's face, a rare, genuine smile.

xXxXx

The 8 L'Cie headed back to the orphanage, in need of larger sleeping quarters. This had 6 beds, so two pairs would bunk together. Snow and Serah had been offered the largest of the beds; It was in a room alone, an actual bed in its center. Lightning opposed the notion greatly, but was forced out of it when Fang spoke up, in a slightly annoying but fairly true way. "Don't worry, it's not a very thick wall. You'd hear anything that went on in that room." The flirtatious Oerban walked to the large kitchen, leaving Light shocked and awed. 'Why that little…'

The meal that night was the same stew that they had the previous night, much to Gamenern and Snow's approval, while Sazh and Hope felt their appetites leave them suddenly. "Umm, do you still have any fish?" The young man asked, his face deep in concern. "Sorry, none left!" Was Vanille's perky response. Gamenern dug into his bowl with vigor, Fang following suit. Lightning decided to try to meal; she's had worse, and the emergency rations that she had been living on for nearly 2 weeks made her feel like she'd eat anything. Sazh didn't share this ideal, and slowly, cautiously ate the food.

It was a short night, it seemed. The L'Cie all fell to sleep at various times in the night, Lightning being the last. She enjoyed her lone bed as the others did. Fang and Vanille curled into their cot together, Gamenern taking one with much content. He had slept on rocks with a cloth for a pillow for a week now, his back needed comfort. The snores of Snow rang in the other room, confirming that the engaged couple had fallen asleep, nothing more. Lightning sighed, then drifted into a quiet sleep.

Lightning woke up first, her eyes gazing into the room. They seemed to focus on Fang and Vanille's cot; Fang had her arms around Vanille protectively, sisterly. Even though she knew this, Light felt an unusual knot form in her stomach, a lump forming in her throat. The Oerban's looked so peaceful, so content. She found Fang's sleeping form beautiful, unnerving. Light composed herself. 'You can't be seriously falling for Fang?' she mentally kicked herself. 'You're a soldier. Soldiers don't have relationships with comrades.' she laughed internally at this. 'Fang, a comrade? Maybe in another life.' A smile graced her face, scanning the rest of the room.

Sazh slept soundly with his chocobo chick snoring softly on his cheek. Hope was facing the wall, his steady breathing the only indication he was actually asleep. Gamenern was sprawled out over the cot, his mouth hanging open, a light snore exiting his body with every exhale, and somehow managed to end up with his feet at the headrest of the cot. He gave a slight grunt that pierced the room, thought Lightning didn't flinch.

She stretched lightly as she decided to get up, stepping onto the floor with slender grace, and refitted her boots onto her feet. Her coat was hanging on a rack that was set up outside the room, so she was only wearing her brown sweater-material vest on her upper body. She had just looked up to see Fang, still holding Vanille like when Light woke up, looking at the soldier. A glare reached the soldier's eyes. "What?" she scowled.

"Nothin'. Just admiring the view." A goofy, flirty smile on Fang's face. Lightning made a "Tch." sound, turning away from the warrior woman. "Everyone up!" Lightning then spoke, her voice commanding and strong. Sazh and the chocobo jumped, startled at the woman. "Whoa, easy there." Sazh said groggily, rubbing his eyes, which then gazed out of the window. "It's not even past sunrise yet!" he plopped back down, as if to sleep, but the daggers that came from Light's eyes made him (more like scared him) into complying.

Gamenern groggily stretched himself, looking around. "Hmm, early riser I see." he spoke, sleep still evident on his voice. He glanced at the only person not yet awake; Hope. "Hey kid, get up before the banshee decide to have you for breakfast." Gamenern whispered, and though Lightning didn't hear it, Vanille and Fang did. They stifled their laughs as Hope shot up, horror on his face. Gamenern openly laughed.

xXxXx

Though the group had been prepared for anything ahead of them, they still needed to get to Cocoon. There were absolutely no airships within even a week's walking distance, and, from the stage of their brands, Gamenern stated that they had maybe another 5 days to complete their focuses, and that was the biggest fear they had.

They started to wonder what to do, and that was when Gamenern heard it. It was a voice in his head, low, distant. It sounded at first like a distant thunderstorm. It spoke, "Come, my errant L'Cie. Fulfill your destiny." Gamenern understood what it was; Titan. The same one that he completed the trials of, and that he proved his worth to. He gave a nod, unaware that the other's were watching him.

"Umm, you okay there man?" Sazh asked, a small look of confusion on his face. Gamenern smiled and gave a reaffirming answer. "We go to the Faultwarrens, and take the Titan Trials." Fang scoffed at this, much to everyone's dismay.

"You think that by going away from Cocoon, we will get closer?" her voice was cynical, cold. Vanille gave an annoyed huff at her older sister, looking at her with a "What are you thinking?' look. "Fang…" she said, and the older sighed. "Fine." she couldn't believe she faltered so easily. "Why head to Titan's Lair?" she asked the male Oerban.

"Titan has a reward for whoever completes his trails. Usually, it's some kind of technique or spell. But, he has been known to remove, or at least, whiten out, brands." The groups eyes opened up widely as they heard this. "He is willing to fight against the Fal'Cie wanting to bring the Maker back. Titan cares not for this, only in protecting life that is worthy and destroying that which isn't." he sounded assured, positive that this was the answer they needed.

"It's settled then." Snow said, punching his open hand with some force. "We go to Titan's Lair!"

* * *

**Yay! Everyone's happy. Well, so it would seem. Kinda cheesy, I know, but writing an emotional scene is hard for me.  
**

**Next chapter will be told from a third-person limited view of Sazh and Hope, just because I don't see them having a large role in the story to come. Until then, bye!**


	4. Feelings

**_I'll Protect You_**

**Sorry it's taken so long to update. Had a case of writer's block, plus my work had me tired out. But, I've got this chapter together, though it's not quite what I hoped for. It's a little too long, but I can't take much out. It's all so important. So bear with me here, please.**

**Also, I kinda lied. I said I was going to write this from Hope and Sazh's perspective, but I couldn't get it to sound right, so I tried to focus more on them where I could. Don't worry, though. I will have a part where everyone has their time in the limelight somewhere in the chapters ahead.**

**Now for the story.**

**Edit: See past 3 Chapters.  
**

**Word Count: 4497**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series. Just a couple of game discs and a game guide or two.**

**Chapter 4: Feelings**

* * *

Walking to the elevator that went to the apex of Taejin's Tower was very slow going for the L'Cie. It may have been because of the increase in the number of Cie'th along the path. Or it may have been caused by Fang and Vanille, who were holding on to hope that Oerba wasn't actually gone, that this was a twisted dream or some kind of Fal'Cie trick. Either way, they reluctantly got aboard the unusual lift and were spirited away to the top of the largest tower still on Pulse.

When at the top, the group split into two main groups, though still staying together. Sazh, Fang, Vanille and Gamenern all took point, leading on the others as they came down the central elevator. At the bottom, the few Cie'th they had to kill stood no chance, falling swiftly to the combined power of eight L'Cie. Serah seemed to have a knack for Water, while also having some capacity for Thunder, and was equipped with the same dagger she gave Lightning only two weeks ago, on Lightning's two1st birthday. She almost refused, but Lightning insisted, stating that she needed the protection more than Light did.

Sazh, despite being the odd one out around the Oerbans, was still involved in the conversation about the Sulyya Springs. Sazh liked the reservoirs, and the crisp, clean smell of the water in the air. Gamenern had said that was because of Bismark, the Fal'Cie that lived there. Sazh wasn't shocked that a Fal'Cie could do that; the ones on Cocoon could produce sunlight, electricity, and even the weather patterns on Cocoon. He smiled as the always happy and jumpy Vanille strode alongside Fang, her eyes wandering around, taking in the natural beauty that were the Palisades. He didn't see what she did, but he enjoyed it all the same. He had been with Vanille through the entire L'Cie business. He knew what she held in her heart.

xXxXx

Hope was caught between a conversation with Snow and Serah, mainly about the wedding they were planning on having after they stopped Barthandelus. Snow tried to get Lightning involved, but the soldier seemed focused on something. Hope looked at Lightning with worry in his eyes. She was never like this; her eyes fixated forward, her mouth slightly agape, a look of wonder and awe on her face. She barely kept up with the 3 other L'Cie, prompting Hope to give her a nudge to bring her back into reality. "Light, you okay?" he asked, shifting his hands so they were flat at his sides and not twiddling in front of him. The pink-haired woman gave a slight "huh?", but composed herself, smiling at the boy. "I'm fine, Hope." her voice was calm, but Hope could tell it was faked.

He looked at what Lightning may have been so enticed by. He saw Fang straight in front of her, about two5 feet ahead. He felt a slight tinge of discomfort as he put the pieces together. 'Oh, man…' he thought, looking back into his mind. He had seen same sex relationships all the time- they weren't frowned upon, like he heard it was in Oerba (and for good reason- everything in Oerba was to survive, not enjoy life), and there were even clinics that allowed for same gender couples to have children, though a female had to be involved to bear the child to birth. He clinched his fists; he knew why the government never said no to same gender couples. Make the people happy, and they'll eat whatever you put on their plates without question. Just another Fal'Cie lie.

Still, he never saw Lightning as one to fancy another woman. Sure, he didn't know too much about the soldier, except that she was very secretive and very protective, but was never emotional. She never actually opened up to Hope, but she did soften up around him. He was glad that Light had taken him under her wing; he owed her for everything he learned. His control on magic, his supportive buffs, and, his most powerful tool of all, his unparalleled healing spells. Even Vanille, who had more experience with healing spells, was nowhere near as able as Hope was with healing. She was able to match him in doing damage to an enemy, and she had a strength about her that was more than Hope had, but Hope seemed to have a natural understanding of healing magic. It suited him.

xXxXx

Sazh looked back at the young man, pointed in that direction by the chocobo in his hair. It flew out, landing on Vanille's head, putting a smile on the girl's face once more. He let another smile grace his face, looking around him. He sympathized with Fang and Lightning. He, too, had someone to fight for. His son, Dajh, who was branded at Euride when Fang and Vanille, unaware of their focus and trying to jumpstart their memories, attacked the Fal'Cie there. He felt like he should hold it against the older Pulsian, but he could see Vanille cared for her, and she didn't seem hostile towards the group. Gamenern intrigued him, mainly because he knew so little about him, except what he had heard from random conversations he wasn't a part of.

He cast a look back to the other L'Cie. Snow had his large right arm slung over Serah's shoulders, while his left hand held what Sazh thought to be Serah's teardrop crystal. It wasn't to hard to like the man. Despite his brashness and his booming voice, he was always jovial. He had a smile on his face most of the time, always looking at the best case scenario and not wavering from making it happen. His optimism had seen him reunited with his love, Serah, who Sazh could tell loved Snow and Lightning. Sazh's eyes traced over the youngest member of the group. Hope had been thrown into this by the Sanctum, just like everyone else. Everything rooted back to the Sanctum, and then further to the Fal'Cie, headed by Barthandelus.

His eyes finally found Lightning's form. The enigma of the group. It was clear that, unless you won the honor, you weren't getting to see inside of the soldier's mind. He followed her into this mess, and tried to help her protect the younger members of the group (which sometimes included Snow). Even though he saw to the younger two more and more, he did try to protect everyone where they let him. Lightning and Fang rarely needed protection, but they had sometimes let their guard down in combat. He would take care of the creature before anything bad would happen, though he knew that the two fighters would most likely kill anything before it became a problem.

When he looked back forward, he saw the pools of Sulyya Springs. A grin had formed on Vanille's face as she ran to the nearest pool. Fang and Gamenern watched her carefully, as there was a group of Cetoraptors nearby. They saw Vanille and hungrily charged for the girl. They never got close. Sazh, Fang and Gamenern blitzed them before anyone even noticed the pack. The few who survived retreated into the pools, leaving their fallen comrades behind. Vanille looked back and smiled, as if she planned for the creatures to charge her. "Lunchtime!" she said cheerfully, grabbing 3 of the dead frogs and setting up a small pit to cook them. Sazh hung his head as the other two Pulsians chuckled, Fang ruffling Vanille's hair slightly.

xXxXx

The rear group caught up with the front group, settling in around the newly formed fire as they relaxed. It had only been about two hours, yet the heat of Palisades had made the trip feel like a day long venture. Lightning didn't stop, and kept walking, only stopping when Serah grabbed her left ankle. "Where are you going, Light?" she asked, looking up at her older sister. Lightning never faced Serah, only speaking when Serah kept her from continuing. "I'm going to scout ahead. I won't be long." Serah wasn't convinced, standing up and turning Lightning to face her. "Serah…" Lightning half-pleaded, though Serah didn't back down. "Tell me now." Serah demanded, though not raising her voice or changing her tone. Lightning gave a heavy sigh, then said. "I need to clear my mind. Alone." She subconsciously looked at Fang, who was talking happily with Gamenern, Vanille and Sazh. Lightning's eyes looked soft, almost hurt. Serah loosened her grip on Lightning, catching where she was looking. "Oh." Serah said, turning back to sit down. "Don't be too long, kay?" Lightning gave a thankful smile at Serah before disappearing.

Snow leaned over to Serah, confusion in his voice. "What was that about?" Serah smiled, not going to divulge anything about Lightning. "Nothing." she said, looking over at what the 3 Pulsians were making. She gulped slightly, her eyes wide. "We're gonna eat, _that_?" she asked, pointing at the meat that Gamenern skewered. Snow laughed. "Don't worry about it, baby." he put his arm around Serah in a comforting way. "It's not too bad." Serah relaxed in Snow's arms, giving a comforted smile. "Yeah, of course."

Hope had taken notice of Lightning's leave, looking at her as she disappeared behind a cave wall. "Where's Light going?" he asked Vanille as he sat down next to her. The red-head hummed in response, gazing in the general direction Hope was looking at. "Oh, probably to enjoy the springs. They're really nice in some of the caves." she spoke matter-of-factly. Hope was not sure, but didn't seem to press the issue. Fang had glanced up, noticing the look of concern on Hope's face. She sighed, standing up. "I'll find out." she said, grabbing her staff as she faced the cave Light disappeared behind. Vanille had also stood up, blocking the way. Fang looked slightly irritated. "What?" she asked, not amused with her friend's antics.

Vanille looked worried. "You sure she won't, you know…try to kill you if you interrupt her?" Fang laughed slightly, putting her staff on her back. "Don't worry. I can take car of myself." Fang gave a smile to Vanille, patted her head, and took off towards the cave. Gamenern had yet to look up, giving a sigh when Fang was gone. "You sure it was a good idea to let her go like that?" he asked, almost jokingly. Hope crunched his face slightly, looking at the older boy there. "You think Lightning would try to hurt Fang?" he asked, a little annoyed. Gamenern chuckled slightly. "No. I'm worried as to what Fang might do to Lightning." Vanille also gave a chuckle, giving a playful hug to Hope. "They'll be fine, Hope." she said, her calming voice working on the young man, who sat down to help finish cooking.

xXxXx

Fang saw that the cave wasn't actually a cave, but just another part of the springs. It had a large opening about two00 feet up, and, though Fang couldn't see what was up there, she could tell that it had a really good view of Cocoon in the sky. She figured that it would give her a great vantage point of the rest of the area, so she climbed to the top. It took her no time at all to reach the top, looking back to see the rest of the enclave. She could see several large pools and waterfalls, shining the light from the sun in an array of colors, making them look more like crystal than water. Fang couldn't help but give an awed gasp at the magnificence of it all.

The next sound that pierced the silence was a slicing of a blade behind Fang. She instinctively grabbed her lance, turning on the spot to hold the blade on the bottom against her attacker. There, at the other end, was Lightning, holding her gun blade gingerly in her right hand, pointing it at Fang's heart. Fang let a smile grace her face, lowering her lance. "Etro, you scared me, Light." she joked, though Lightning didn't lower her weapon. "I'm not going to fight you, kay?" Fang said, putting her lance on the ground at her side, sitting as she looked up. As she expected, there was the hanging sphere of Cocoon. The sun was reflecting off of it's form, casting an array of colors just like the pools below. Fang let another awed gasp out, looking back at Lightning.

The soldier had yet to put away her blade, but had lowered it, and pointed it away from Fang. "Sorry." Lightning mumbled, sitting down about two feet away from Fang. She had let to loosen up, still fairly rigid as she began (or continued) to polish her blade. Fang could make out some words written in the Cocoon alphabet, but she couldn't decipher them. Curiosity getting hold of her, she asked, "What's that say?" pointing at the writing. Lightning looked at the same writing, and back at Fang. She said, "It's my name. Had it inscribed when I got it, so everyone knows whose it is." Lightning reminisced on it, leaning back and giving a sigh. Her eyes had found there way to Cocoon's floating sphere, causing a slight anger to build inside her. She would make Barthandelus pay for everything he's done.

Fang watched the soldier with curiosity. She couldn't read her face like normal. She saw that she had stopped polishing the blade, and that her hands were on her stomach. From what she could tell, Lightning was worried, or mad. Either way, she had to know. So, Fang bit her lower lip and asked, "So, why did ya walk off like that?" she pointed her thumb back towards the camp as Lightning turned to face her, blue eyes meeting emerald ones. Lightning let another sigh out, not breaking eye contact. "Had to clear my mind. Wanted to be alone." She added, her voice slightly annoyed, yet also reserved. Fang gave a soft chuckle, breaking eye contact to look up at Cocoon. "No need to be so uptight, Light." she looked back, nodding towards Lightning's brand. "You have Serah back. That's one down." Fang saw Lightning look at the ground, her eyes not focused, but confused. "You just need to keep fighting now. What would Serah do without you?" Lightning closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I, I don't know." The soldier let out slowly.

Fang placed a hand on Lightning's shoulder, turning those blue eyes back towards her. "You can't give up. If you do, then you'll become a Cie'th." Fang smiled. "And I'm not letting that happen while I'm still breathin." The soldier let a rare smile grace her lips, nodding slightly. "Thanks, Fang." she spoke, turning back towards Cocoon again. "But, if we don't find anything in the Faultwarrens, then we'll be out of time." her voice became grim, sad. Fang scooted closer, her arm gripping Lightning's faraway shoulder. "We'll find a way back to Cocoon. And we'll destroy Barthandelus." Her voice was still calm, but she had doubt inside her as well. Sure, she wasn't going to become a Cie'th. But, if they failed, that meant that Vanille would. And she vowed, back when they became L'Cie, that Vanille would become crystal and not Cie'th.

Lightning leaned her head on Fang's shoulder, breaking the hunter's thoughts. "Light?" she asked, looking down at the soldier. Lightning's eyes were closed, her breathing steady, but she was not asleep; she was much to tense for sleep right now. Another smile appeared. "Don't." she spoke, not opening her eyes. Fang smiled as well, her head resting on Light's. The two looked at Cocoon, their ultimate goal. Destroy it or save it, their fate was inside. Because there, deep inside Edenhall, waiting for them to meet him, was Barthandelus. Everything that had happened, from the branding of Serah, Light, Hope, Snow, and Sazh, to the Purge, and their arrival on Gran Pulse, was all of his own doing. He had killed countless lives, both Cocoon and Pulse. He was the mastermind behind their seemingly hopeless plight. Either way, destroying it or saving it, Cocoon would never be the same.

xXxXx

Back at camp, Snow and Serah had joined the others as food was being served. A stick with a small chunk of meat was handed to each person there, cooked to perfection. Serah gingerly took a bite, not knowing what to expect. At first it was jerky, like biting into steak. However, after chewing it for about 3 seconds, it tenderized, flavors of all sorts exploding into her mouth. She smiled as she gulped down. It _was_ good. Snow also smiled. "Told ya." He said to her, while Vanille bit off the last bit of meat on her skewer.

After finishing their food, the group relaxed. Sazh, who had noticed that Lightning and Fang were not here, asked "Where'd soldier girl and the huntress go off to?" he asked, a bit confused. Snow rubbed the back of his head through his du rag. "Um…good question." he shared the confusion of the older man. Hope spoke up, his voice a little shaken. "They…went into a cave. That one." He pointed at the cave where the two in question disappeared behind. Gamenern gave a chuckle. "They'll be fine. Not much here to worry about. Most of the wildlife are scared of people." He seemed convincing, but Snow still stood up. "We need to leave soon. I'm gonna let them know."

He would've kept going, had Serah not grabbed his arm. "Don't. Please." she begged, her voice barely a whisper. "Serah, what is going on?" Snow asked, kneeling to look Serah in the eyes. Gamenern was the first to speak. "You really think that Lightning likes Fang?" he seemed a little shocked, but not as much as the rest of the group. Snow looked at the man like you'd expect someone to look at a person in a bad moogle outfit. Sazh looked similarly at him, the chocobo in his hair popping out, it's little face sharing that expression (if it were possible for it to). Serah sighed, shaking her head. "Just, let Light have some time alone." Her voice seemed sincerely worried, bringing Snow to look at her again. "Light's had so many emotions thrown at her recently. She needs time to readjust to it all." Snow gave an understanding huff, then turned to Sazh. The man's face returned to normal, though he could still see some shock in it. "Not a word to Light, clear?" Serah asked the group. Snow nodded. "None."

xXxXx

Lightning felt the sun on her face, burning at her eyes through their lids. She looked down, though the movement startled Fang. They had sat there, Light's head resting on Fang's shoulder, whose head was resting on Light's, for nearly 10 minutes, in silence. Lightning was thinking, about everything that had happened, from the time they arrived on Gran Pulse, to the group arriving in Oerba, to Serah being brought back. It was a lot of stuff to take in. Gran Pulse was nothing like the propaganda of the Sanctum. It wasn't a hell covered in machine's hell bent on destroying Cocoon (though the Subterra seemed so), and the people who had lived here weren't savages. They were just like she was; humans, living life as they could, trying to survive. Fang had told her that they were told similar things about Cocoon, all of them lies.

When Lightning finally got her eyes to adjust to the sun, peeking out from an outcropping of rock, she felt Fang's posture shift. She glanced up at the huntress, who seemed to be trying to get comfortable. Her features were strong, but still soft. She was obviously female, yet her muscles were more well defined than any woman Lightning's ever saw. They held an incredible amount of power, yet she was not heavier than Lightning. It was intriguing to Lightning, who strived to be like Fang, in a sense. She wanted to be strong, for Serah, to keep what she had promised her mom true. Yet, in her fervor to become the best, she had slowly pushed her sister away, right into Snow's arms. She had never thought about it until recently. What if Snow was what Serah needed, and not Lightning? It pained her to think that everything she had done was in vain.

She didn't notice a stray tear falling down her cheek, landing on Fang's arm. The warrior looked over, seeing several of them forming in Lightning's eyes. "Hey, you alright?" she asked, shifting her body to be in front of Light's. The soldier shook her head, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "It's nothing." her voice was unusually hoarse, like she had been crying the whole time Fang was here. Lightning knew that Fang would see through that lie. She could see right through the soldier. She didn't try to stop the embrace that Fang pulled her into, bringing her head into Fang's chest. "It's alright. Let it out." Fang spoke softly, her hand petting Lightning's hair slowly. Lightning sighed, a small lump forming inside her throat. "It's nothing Fang, really." her voice was still hoarse. Fang wasn't buying it, but she did push the soldier back. "What's going on in there? It must have you worked up." Fang asked, looking into the sparkling blue orbs of Lightning's eyes, as if trying to dissect her thoughts. Lightning turned away, not responding.

Fang looked puzzled, then finally said, "It's about Serah, right?" Lightning closed her eyes, keeping them shut longer than to just blink. _Bingo_. Fang grabbed Light's chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "Listen to me. I know what it's like to think you can't protect the ones you love." Fang's voice was soothing, soft. Lighting rubbed away the tears on her face as Fang continued. "But give up now, and you'll never forgive yourself. Serah has Snow, yeah. But she still needs you." Lightning let her lips curl into a smile. "Yeah right." her voice had regained some of it's usual tone again. Fang shook her head. "She does. If you leave her now, she'll be devastated. She'll never forgive you." Fang let Lightning go, standing up and turning towards the edge of the ridge. "Let's get back before they think something happened." Fang extended her hand to Lightning, who took it shakily.

As she stood up, the Pulsian gave her a smile. "You sure you're okay?" she asked, walking to just a few steps away from the edge of this small landing. Lightning nodded. "I'm fine, really." her voice was now completely back. She leapt of the edge, snapping her fingers to activate her AMP device. It sent a surge of purple energy through her, then created a small bubble on the ground, where she landed with no injury. Fang had followed, landing in the same spot just before the bubble faded. She smiled weakly, following the soldier as they rounded the corner.

xXxXx

Serah saw them reappear from behind the wall, waving at them. Everyone looked over to see the two, about four feet from each other. Snow had a goofy smile on his face as he greeted Lightning. "Lets see here. Fang's not rubbing her jaw. You're not covered in sweat. Did Lightning actual behave around Fang?" he feigned surprise as Lightning gave him a soft punch to the stomach, though it still hurt the man. "Don't even go there, Snow." Lightning hissed through her teeth, and Snow nodded. "Of course." he wheezed, clutching where he was hit. Fang gave him a sly smile as she sat down next to Vanille.

Gamenern had stood up, grabbing his axe from the ground. "Lets move. We gotta get to the river by nightfall if we want to be in the Steppes tomorrow." Fang gave a slight groan, picking herself back up. "Okay, guardian." she said sarcastically. Vanille held back a giggle as she pushed Fang forward, stopping when they were next to Gamenern. Lightning had decided to take up the rear, as the rest filed in behind the Pulsians. Hope was the only one to not do so, instead standing, his head looking at his feet, just behind Lightning.

"Light?" he asked, his voice small. Lighting turned around. "Hope?" she asked, moving to look at him, face to face. "I, I wanna ask you something. Something that's been bothering me." he said sheepishly, not moving his head up. Lightning grabbed his chin to make him, her face confused. "What?" she asked, her voice sharing that confusion. "Are you…Do you…I…" he stuttered, unable to make eye contanct with the soldier. Lightning smiled. "Yes…?" she asked, her voice taking on an unusually playful tone. Hope let out a sigh, gathering himself. "Are you attracted to Fang?" he blurted out, his breathing fast and heavy.

Lightning's insides twisted as if they were being turned upside-down. Her throat closed up from a lump, not disappearing when she swallowed. Her eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open. Hope shook his head. "I knew it…" he whispered, breaking the trance Lightning was in. She looked at him curiously. "Where'd you get that idea?" her voice was calm, but she was a wreck inside. Hope's face went red. "I, I saw the way you were looking at her today. You looked like you were in awe." Hope was trying not to stutter, though he had only succeeded in making his voice much shakier. Lightning gave a shaky smile. "Are you sure you saw that?" she asked, this time in a joking fashion.

Hope was about to answer when Lightning heard someone approach. She turned around, seeing Snow behind her. "Everything alright?" he asked, looking at the red-faced Hope. Lightning stood up. "Fine." she said, tugging at Hope to make his start moving. Her slowly followed. Snow gave a sigh. "Okay then." he said, running back to Serah, who was a good 100 feet ahead. Lightning turned to Hope, who still seemed flustered. "I'll talk to you about this later." she said, speeding up to join her sister.

They had not gone more than a few feet when they noticed a presence in front of them. Standing in the road, blocking their passage, was a man, about Fang's height, in a black uniform of sorts. It had a cape that came around his shoulders and down to the ground. His hair was blond, with multiple spikes. His eyes were behind his sunglasses, but his face was soft, gentle. He had a large, wide broadsword in his left had, slung over his shoulder. It was bound with some tape, hanging off of it, like it was injured by something. Fang had already drawn her lance, holding it in her right hand, while everyone else went into a defensive stance. The man spoke, his words sounding inhuman.

"Veni L'Cie. Perferte laborem. Ragnarok fieri."

Then, in a flash, he lunged at the nearest L'Cie, his blade ready to draw blood.

* * *

**Okay, there. It's finished. Not my best work, I think, but I hope I made it work. This writer's block is killing me.**

**Okay, I based this new enemy off of a character from a previous Final Fantasy. Not too hard to figure out who, though. I'm gonna have him speak Latin for any parts he says, so to add an air of mystery to him.**

**Next chapter, hopefully it will be interesting. It will involve Eidolons, so stay tuned.**


	5. Leviathan

**_I'll Protect You_**

**Hello again! Chapter 5 is up, and, if I must sa so myself, is a doozy. This will be very action packed, and, like I said before, will feature Eidolons. Will not say more other than that. As for my OC introduced in the last chapter, despite his description, is not that character. Call me lazy (because I am), but I didn't want to make up a new character, so I used a previous one, and gave him features of an iconic boss (in this chapter). K, enough rambling. You wanna read the story.**

**Note: I also updated my other chapter's with this one, so they look much more clean and are (hopefully) easier to read now.  
**

**Word Count: 3618**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Final Fantasy. No character's used in this story are owned by me under any copyrights. So don't take this as cannon.**

**Chapter 5: Leviathan  
**

* * *

Vanille barely had time to notice the man lunging at her, so she had yet to fully defend herself. Luckily, Fang was there to take the hit, her Steelguard absorbing the vast damage that the man's attack did. She was hit by a cure of Lightning's as the soldier charged in, swinging first at the enemy. Snow, Gamenern, and Fang all joined her, trying to overwhelm the man before he could threaten anyone else. He was able to deflect all four's attacks with relative ease, despite the apparently heavy weapon he used. The speed he had was inhuman, almost faster than Lightning, yet as strong as Fang.

The mages of the group were unable to get a clear shot at the enemy, and were there to heal any wounds sustained or enhance their allies. It was a helpless feeling. Hope tried desperately to try to get his spells to hit his target, but, most of them were either deflected or taken by his allies.

The man smirked, leaping back about 10 feet, his blade lowered. "Bene. Necesse habetis artes Ragnarok fieri. Nunc erumpere potestas. Beast fieri irae!" his voice, if possible, became even more sinister and inhuman. A white glow covered his body, a small, black tattoo expanding from his hidden right bicep. It was a L'Cie brand, almost at it's completion. It glowed purple, then sent a wave of energy from him.

When everything focused again, the group looked at the man. He was completely different; his arms had become much more muscular and looked as if they were covered in a purple/black crystalline armor, looking out of place on his fairly smooth and slender body. His legs were twisted, looking as if they were barely able to hold up his new body. On his back, 6 long, angel-like yellow wings sprouted, while, from his left shoulder, a large black wing had extended straight upward, looking odd in his new form.

His face gave an eerie smile as he brought the sword upward. The two sentinels took point, their Steelguards ready to endure the man's next attack. He pointed his large weapon at the two, hitting them with a plethora of ailments; Poison, Fog, Pain, Slow, Curse. Both doubled over from this, and the man took his charge, hungry for blood.

Gamenern was never built as a Sentinel. Yet, without Fang or Snow to cover them, he had little choice. He stepped in front of the lunging man, blocking the blow with near equal force. Support from Sazh and Hope had made this easier, but the man could still overpower him. An creepy chuckle escaped the Cie'th's mouth, following a large flash from where his brand was. It consumed him, giving him power to bat Gamenern away like a fly.

Flying into a rock formation nearby, the Oerban fell to his stomach. He cringed as he tried to stand up, the pain made less by Vanille's Curasa spells. He felt power returning, though he could tell the man had only just begun. He brought his axe up, looking over as Snow and Fang had gotten to their feet, healthy and ready to fight.

Snow spoke first, his voice dry. "Who are you?" The man shook his head, looking Snow in the eyes. "Mihi nomen est Nube, de L'Cie Gran Pulse. Veni utque Ragnarok fis." Gamenern spoke next, confused. "What do you know of Ragnarok?" The Cie'th, Nube, looked now to Gamenern, his small black eyes boring into Gamenern's soul. He didn't replay, instead lunging at him with full force. Gamenern once again tried to deflect the attack, and was nearly successful. However, the man's strength had doubled, and he was sent flying once again.

Realizing that his previous landing was not all that graceful, Gamenern made sure to land with his feet below him. He was able to do just that, but as he did, Nube's Ruin spells flew towards him, forcing Gamenern to deflect them and not lunge. Lightning had tried to interrupt the man's attacks, but was unsuccessful in doing so, an invisible barrier erecting itself around him. Magic had seen little success as well, so Gamenern did the only thing he knew would work; Hit it with everything at once.

He shouted "Together!" and the rest of the group knew what he meant. Hope, Vanille, Serah and Sazh all charged up their most powerful spells, while Gamenern, Lightning, Fang and Snow all got at the ready. Gamenern was still preoccupied with the Ruin barrage of Nube, so he was not going hit the barrier in the initial attack. Instead, he was hoping to distract the man long enough for the other's to finish the job.

As if on an invisible cue, the 7 L'Cie charged and hit the barrier at once, causing it to flash violently and falter. Nube frowned, looking at the 3 L'Cie in melee range. He prepared to swing, but as he did, Gamenern hit him with a powerful uppercut, disarming the man and sending him flying. Snow picked up the large blade, charging the Cie'th hybrid, and unleashed an array of dizzying melee swings that even Light was impressed by. The final swing sent the man flying into a cliff face, hit by a combination or Ruinga, Blizzaga, and Waterga from Snow.

For the next few seconds, silence fell over the group. When the dust settled, there was nothing left of the man, just some ice and water around where he once stood. Snow turned to Serah, his trademark smile and wink, his left thumb pointed at himself, while his right hand held onto the sword. Serah smiled back, lowering her knife and pocketing it.

xXxXx

Suddenly, a swoosh of wind was heard, followed by the ringing of a blade through the air. Before anyone could register what it was, Snow jerked forward slightly, his eyes wide. In his chest, about an inch above his belly button, was a long, thin silver sword. Behind him, Nube had resurface, a new sword in hand. It was a sharp contrast to his old blade; This new one was thin, maybe 2 inches thick, and almost 6 feet in length (just the blade itself, that is). About 4 feet of it stuck out from Snow. Slowly, he began to lift into the air at Nube's will, the blade still in him. He spun to his right, throwing Snow carelessly off it's end, sending him into a cliff face, knocking him out.

Serah's eyes were never wider that they were just now. No tears had formed, just anger. Hate. Vengeance. They were new to Serah, the normally kind, cheerful girl. She felt a pain on her bicep, growing with each passing second, until it consumed her, a blue light emitting from her brand. She looked at it, shock and confusion on her face. Lightning and Fang knew very well what this was; Her Eidolon. Serah watched as a blue circle surrounded her, written in a language she's never seen. From above, she could see a large ball of water, floating above Nube. The man looked at it with contempt. He jumped at it, never getting close. He was sent flying into a cliff wall a couple hundred feet away, the Eidolon finally taking shape.

It appeared aquatic in origin, a warrior in blue/green plate, his face hidden behind a mask. His shoulder pads had fish-like fins on them, matching the scaly armor he wore. His body was think, sleek, contrasted by the thick muscles of it's upper body. His legs appeared the same, toned and scaly, with short fins pointing off his kneecaps. His feet appeared to bee in a boot, a third pair of fins found on it's back. He had a long, tail-like growth out of his back, curling around his back, wagging freely. In his hands, he held a trident, gold and adorned with several glyphs similar to the circle surrounding Serah and himself.

Gamenern awed at the sight, looking at Serah. "Leviathan…" he spoke, gathering Hope and Sazh to help Snow, who was struggling to stand up. Fang, Vanille and Lightning were at Serah's side, weapons drawn and ready. "Serah, you have to prove yourself to this. This is what strength you have inside." Lightning spoke, a speech similar to what she said to Hope when he captured Alexander. Leviathan nodded in Serah's direction, instilling some hope into the younger Farron. She gave a concerned look t Snow, seeing he was well tended to. He gave her a smile, then said, "Go get 'em."

xXxXx

The fight was fast paced and physical. Knowing Serah was not a close range fighter, Fang and Lightning had taken to an offensive as Serah slung a few Water and Thunder spells at the beast, frowning when the water spell did nothing. She tried to vary her assaults, from simple magic to more powerful spells like Blizzaga and Thundaga. Vanille was focused on defensive spells, supporting Light and Fang with Cures and buffs, and also trying to weaken Leviathan with debuffs. She had little success with rebuffing him, though she was able to weaken him with her deprotect and deshell spells.

Leviathan had swung several times at Fang and Lightning, never making contact. The others were much to fast for him, though he had only just started. He spun in a violent whirlwind, catching the melee fighter's off guard. They were propelled backwards, landing smoothly, cure spells from the other girls rejuvenating their lost energy. Leviathan looked at Serah, unsettling the red-head. She prepared for his assault, her body enhanced by Vanille's buffs just before the attacks landed. First was an uppercut, not painful but definitely rattling. Next was a spiral attack, again, not to painful. Lightning, though concerned for Serah's safety, knew that this would prove her worth to the Eidolon. She reluctantly flew Cure spells at her younger sister, trying to keep her active after the onslaught.

The final blow was a downward slash that was felt by Serah. She gave a small yelp of pain, hitting the ground hard, bouncing a few feet away. She felt the Cure spells cooling her body, bringing life back to her. She stood up, weakened, but not phased. Lightning had arrived at her side, looking at Serah. "You need to finish him. Use your power." the soldier spoke in a whisper, before sharing a knowing nod with Serah. The younger girl began to charge her power, then focused onto the Eidolon, preparing for an attack.

Every element seemed to course through Serah at once, every spell she knew gathering in a large sphere in her hands. It was yellow, every spell visible inside it. The shards of ice from Blizzard, the bubbles from Water, the flames of Fire, the wind of Aero, the sparks of Thunder, and even the dust from Quake. They merged seamlessly, flowing into her hands with a grace that took the group's breath away. Her eyes had matched the spell's color, and slowly, she directed it towards Leviathan.

The orb suddenly disappeared, returning to Serah, before she uttered the spell's name unconsciously. "Ultima!"

The explosion at Leviathan was blinding. The Ultima spell flashed in multiple colors, subsiding after a few seconds, leaving behind the towering Eidolon. It's weapon was down, giving Serah an approving nod. She had claimed it, the warrior changing into a serpent creature, a saddle on it's neck where Serah mounted, the trident forming in her hands. Lighting was impressed. It looked almost like what Odin looked like, though Serah's had a much more menacing look to it. A smile crept onto Light's face.

xXxXx

Nube didn't wait for the ceremonies to end, lunging straight at Serah and her Eidolon with murderous intent. The young Farron took noting, deflecting the attack with grace before casting a powerful Waterga from it's end, blasting the warrior away. Fang had followed him into the air, getting in several shots before bouncing him back towards Serah. The girl impaled him with the trident, throwing him aside like he did Snow, then she jumped into the air off of Leviathan. The beast opened it's mouth, before making a large tidal wave in front of it, followed by Serah using Ultima on him, destroying a large section of the cliff wall.

Though everyone assumed that Nube was not surviving that attack, they still held their guards up. Incredibly, the man survived, though is black wing was now half missing. His face was one of anger and hatred. He charged again, straight towards Serah. Gamenern was much faster, though, and deflected the attack to Lightning, who launched him with every ounce of power behind her. Fang followed again, flipping forward in midair and slamming the man to the ground.

Snow had recovered enough to use his magic, further unbalancing the Cie'th. Sazh shot several rounds at him, each one hitting with deadly accuracy. Hope and Vanille chained their magic to maximum effect, sending the man flying into a boulder about 50 feet away. Snow rushed him, a bone shattering punch ready to meet the man's face.

Nube was quick enough to dodge it, his fate instead taken by the boulder he was once resting against. He frowned, his blade still in his hand, though Snow had taken precautions and Steelguarded before the man could lunge again. Then, he felt a power bathe over him, refreshing him. His wing suddenly grew back, his fatigue fading; he was nearing the end of his life, and his final bit of humanity had become Cie'th. He smile, a disbelieving look on the 8 other L'Cie's faces. "You have got to be kidding?" Sazh said, his voice breathless and tired. Nonetheless, they prepared for his charge.

Fang took the first hit, though her Steelguard helped her endure the hit. Lightning tried to get Nube off balance, her gun blade constantly switching from sword and gun forms, each attempt failing as he deflected the attacks. Gamenern was barely able to keep up with the man's attacks, the second wind giving Nube more pride and power. He deflected Gamenern easily, his sights set on Serah.

Snow had begun to guard her, his arms up in a defensive stance. Nube charged, ready to bat the man away and strike at the frail young woman behind him. He was not able to budge Snow, who had Steelguard up and was digging into the ground. Snow grabbed the sword, his hands unharmed due to his guard, and punched Nube in the face. The enemy staggered back, but used the opportunity to strike. He swung his long blade upward, catching Snow off guard, launching him into the air with a grunt. He landed behind Serah, who, despite her concern, had not let her eyes off of Nube.

Lightning attempted to charge him, but was caught in midair, her blade taken forcefully from her hands. She tried to kick him, but Nube was much faster than she was, and dodged every single one. He held her gun blade at his side, not letting her get close, taunting her with it. She became enraged, swinging with less and less precision, until the man made his move.

xXxXx

He cast several spells at once- Curse, Imperil, Poison and Pain- and focused them on the Blazefire in his hannd. Then, using an opening Lightning had made, he thrust the blade into her chest, just above her navel. The curses made their way into her body, crippling her. She felt the blade run through each organ of her body, coming out of her back, sticking out about 3 inches, blood dripping from it's tip. Everyone's eyes widened in horror, Serah's forming tears now.

Nube used a powerful ruin spell to throw Lightning's lifeless body into the rocks about 40 feet away, her form collapsing into a ball just below where she hit. The man smirked evilly, looking back to everyone else. Their pride shattered, he would have no trouble dispatching each one till Ragnarok was summoned, and his focus completed.

He hadn't noticed that Fang was charging him, a fire in her eyes unlike anyone, even Vanille and Gamenern, had ever seen. She hit him with every bit of strength she had, amputating the man's left arm. Though he could not feel pain, Nube still held his right had to the stump that once was his left arm. Fang gave no quarter, impaling the man in the gut, throwing him upwards. She summoned her Eidolith, shattering it in her hands. Bahamut appeared, striking the man with vicious claws while Fang unloaded with everything she had. The man could not counter attack; he was both disarmed and out powered. He hadn't expected these L'Cie to have such powerful Eidolons already.

Fang then signaled Bahamut to end it. She came down with her strongest Highwind attack ever, this time cutting through the man's right shoulder. The wing and arm separated from his body, his eyes not in disbelief or pain, but almost relieved, free. Bahamut charged an unleashed a devastating Megaflare, engulfing the remnants of the man in a blue-white beam of energy before the Eidolon faded to nothing.

A crystal had formed where Nube once was, to small to be his crystallized body. Before anyone could make out any features, it shattered, raining down small dust shards to the ground. Fang collapsed backwards, looking up at the sky. She felt as is all the energy she had accumulated over the past 2 days had been taken from her at once. This was, without a doubt, the hardest fight the group has ever faced. But they did it. They survived.

_Lightning…_

She saw the lifeless figure of Lighting, a large pool of blood surrounding her. No one had moved yet, fear sinking in. Their leader, the fearless and level-headed Lightning Farron, the only thing holding this group together, lay motionless in a pool of her own blood. Hope had stepped forward, towards Light, but he couldn't gather his nerves. Tears fell down his and Serah's face. Fang felt an emptiness form as she approached the soldier, cradling her in her arms. "Lightning?" she spoke in a hoarse voice, unable to muster even false strength.

The soldier let out a shaky breath, a signal that she was still alive. Then, that breath turned into a hiss of pain. Hope gathered his strength, and approached with Gamenern at his tail. A Libra spell exited the older males hands, looking at the wound. "Not good. To many curses in her. We can't heal until the blade's out." he said, pointing at Lightning's trademark weapon. Fang gingerly grabbed it, and slowly pulled it upwards, out of Lightning.

The scream of pain from Lightning was uncharacteristic of her, as were the tears that fell down her face. Serah sobbed loudly at the sound, Snow holding her close, comforting her. Gamenern forced Fang's hand off of the hilt, his eyes wide with fear. "Don't." he said, making eye contact with Fang. "If you try to ease it out, you're gonna send her into shock, and she'll die right here." He once again motioned towards the sword. "You're gonna have to pull it out in one movement, quickly. Me and Hope will try to surpress the pain, but we can't cure the wound until the curses are removed." He then looked into Light's fear filled blue eyes. "This is gonna hurt a lot." he seemed afraid to say it. "On three."

_One…_

Hope tried to collect himself. He couldn't bear to see Lightning, the woman whom he thought was nearly invincible, breathtakingly fast, and deceptively strong, in this state. He felt hopeless, as he knew that the curses in place by Nube would make curing her impossible till they were out, and every second wasted was one second closer to losing Lightning.

_Two…_

Fang cupped Lightning's face in her left hand, her right gingerly on the hilt of the blade in Light's chest. She brushed away a few stray bangs, the soldier's face not one of strength and leadership, but one of pain and fear. Fang's own face was one of fear, fear of losing Lightning. She was the only person she felt comfortable talking to, though she did like teasing her. Fang gulped down a lump in her throat, her eyes looking apologetically into Lightning's

"Three!"

Fang pulled the blade out swiftly, her left hand now holding Lightning's right shoulder. The soldier tried to endure the pain, but the process of extracting the curses was too much. She screamed, the same scream of pain as when Fang tried to remove the sword the first time. Fang had leaned over to Lightning, trying to calm the soldier, keep her from panicking as the medics worked. Gamenern gave a nod to Hope, and the two slowly began to heal the wound with a cure spell, the curses extracted and the wound ready.

Slowly, the wound closed up, though the damage was done. Lightning's already light skin was even lighter, almost pure white, like a ghost. Her left side was coated in her blood, causing the hair on her face to stick to it. Her face was red, her eyes shut tightly. She had succumbed to the pain and passed out, silent as she did. Her steady, shallow breathing the only sign of life in her.

Slowly, Gamenern pulled Lightning up, Fang helping him carry their charge over their shoulders. "We need to get her someplace inside. I saw a cave just over here. We'll stay there till Light's ready to move on again." The male Pulsian spoke, his eyes on Serah. The girl's face was stained from crying, but she had stopped when Lightning stopped screaming. Snow looked thankfully into Gamenern's eyes, nodding slightly towards him.

* * *

**Sorry if I kinda rushed the ending a little, only way I could get it to sound halfway decent with what I see in my mind's eye. Also, sorry if I gave you guys a little action overload. This whole chapter is mostly fighting anyway.**** Yes, I was very creative with Nube's name. Again, call me lazy.**

**Next chapter will be focused mainly on Flight, with some backstory to explain why this is happening, as well as give the chapter fillers to the next big event that will happen.**

**Till then, Ciao!  
**


	6. Focus

_I'll Protect You_

**It's updated! God, this writer's block is killing me! Well, I've been slowly writing this story every day, and I couldn't get it to my wanted length. Oh well, I didn't want to try and force the length.**

**Please bear with me if it's a little cheesy, like I said in a previous chapter, I'm not that good at writing emotional/fluffy scenes. I made an attempt here, though. Please bear with me.**

**Okay, time for story.**

**Word Count: 2608**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in Final Fantasy XIII. At all. Period.**

**Chapter 6: Focus  
**

* * *

Not a minute after the group had healed Lightning, they had entered the cave. Despite it's small size, it would do. Gamenern didn't want to lose any time getting to the Faultwarrens, but also had seen in the past what trying to move an injured person could do. Lightning needed to rest, and they would have to recollect themselves.

They set their charge down against the cave wall in the far back of the short cave. Serah had collapsed into Snow's arms, the largest member of the group holding his fiancée up effortlessly. Hope, though he had calmed down slightly, was still shaken. Lightning had nearly died in front of him. That wasn't something you just shake off in a few minutes. That kind of trauma sticks with you. It never leaves you, no matter how hard you try.

After setting her down, Gamenern ran another Libra spell to assess what had happened to Lightning. He looked grim, sighing as he turned to the group, eyes downcast. "It seems that some of the curses Lightning was afflicted with have slowed the healing process in her spinal cord." he turned again to the soldier in question, a small green orb in his hand as he passed it on to Lightning. "I can't be certain, but this damage is paralyzing. She won't be able to walk until it heals." he sounded exasperated, tired. Serah lost herself to another crying fit.

"So, you're saying that we might be stuck here for a while?" Sazh asked, in control of his emotions. His voice was calm, not urgent. Gamenern nodded silently, forcing a sigh from Sazh. That was not something anyone wanted to hear so close to becoming a Cie'th. It wasn't to surprising that the notion scared the L'Cie. They had come to far to be beat by a time limit.

Fang was silently leaning against the cliff face outside the cave, not entering the conversation. She was in deep thought, looking up at what she could see of Cocoon. Gamenern didn't interrupt her thoughts, but he did lean against the cliff next to her. He saw a tenderness in Fang's eyes that he never saw. Had he not known any better, he would've thought that Vanille was the one injured and not Lightning. His mind wandered to what he joked with the group about earlier, questioning whether or not that was actually true. Did Fang really like Lightning? He smiled, a sigh exiting his body.

xXxXx

_Shortly after arriving in the Fifth Ark, the group decided that the best way to cover ground was to split up. Fang had been given choice of group makeup, something that annoyed Lightning greatly. Fang, Vanille and Lightning were in one group, while the guys were in the other. They had decided to work on the new powers they had learned, and they figured now was as good a time as any to fine tune them._

_Fang looked seductively at Lightning as they finished a fight with a behemoth. Despite them not being supported by three others, they effortlessly took down the monster. Lightning gave a scowl and turned away from Fang, moving forward. Vanille tried to not notice, but Fang made it nearly impossible to do so. She walked up to Lightning, whispering into the soldier's ear._

"_You can be a real stiff, you know that?" Fang said, her voice enough to make chaste men melt, as well as some women. Lightning was only annoyed even more by it. "I'm trying to focus on getting out of this hell-hole." she said, calm but obviously faking it. In truth, she was about ready to take Fang's head off. Fang smiled, unseen by Light. "Of course. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the view." Fang kept that same tone, and Lightning shook her head. Fang's smile widened, her hands ready to make their move._

_Vanille had to put herself in front of Fang to keep the older Pulsian safe._

xXxXx_  
_

The group had finished gathering dinner. Night was fast approaching, and Gamenern didn't want to stay up too late. He wanted to get out as soon as they could. Lightning had still not woken up, though the constant cure spells that she had taken had sped up the healing process slightly. Lightning would probably be back on her feet the next morning.

Dinner was just like lunch- frog meat. This time, though, Vanille had gathered some berries that she either ground into a sauce, boiled into a stew, or just left raw. The meat was cooked rotisserie style over the open fire. While it wasn't exactly the most filling meal, it did reenergize them after such a grueling encounter. Fang hadn't come in to eat, so Gamenern walked out and set a plate in front of her. She took it with silent thanks.

"You alright?" he asked her. He hadn't talked to her when he came out after first arriving here, so he tried to keep his concern at a minimum. "Fine." Fang spoke as she took a bite of the meat. Gamenern shook his head. "Well, you need anything, just ask." he walked back inside, another cure given to Lightning.

xXxXx

_After the group got back together, they noticed Fang rubbing her jaw. Though Vanille had healed it, it still hurt. Lightning looked extremely pissed, more so than Snow had ever seen. "What'd you do?" he asked Fang, the Pulsian looking at him._

"_Why is it that it's my fault whenever sunshine here hits me?" she asked, slightly annoyed and slightly amused. Vanille sighed, though Sazh answered the question. "Because it always is your fault." Fang shot him a glare, though he just laughed it off. Snow examined the bruise that had formed, though it was slowly fading. "Got you pretty good, huh?" he asked, a whistle following his question. Fang grimaced slightly as she walked away a step or two, looking at the soldier in question._

"_What happened? Obviously you pressed Light's buttons." Snow asked casually, his hands behind his head as if he were leaning against them. Fang shook her head. "None of you concern." She said, though Vanille felt like talking. "Fang grabbed Light's butt." her voice was cheery and loud. The guys all did a double take, though Lightning acted as though she didn't hear it. Fang shot death beams at Vanille._

"_Bad, bad idea." Snow said, slightly laughing. He shook his head. "You didn't really think that sis would let you touch her? Let alone there?" he asked. "I'm not you sister!" Light shouted from a good distance, though Snow took no notice. "Yet." he said back, the gaze from Lightning similar to the one Fang gave Vanille just a minute ago. "Sorry." he added quietly._

xXxXx_  
_

Gamenern was sitting next to Vanille, who was sleeping soundly against his right shoulder. She had been watching the entrance of the cave, waiting for Fang to enter, but she never did. Gamenern had only seen Fang like this one other time- when her family was killed. Ever since then, Fang had tried to distance herself from her past, not unlike what Lightning had done after her parent's died. Gamenern prayed that Fang would calm down and return to normal when Lightning was back on her feet.

He reached into his vest, pulling out a small pendant hooked onto a gold chain. The pendant looked like a heart-shaped locket, though he didn't open it. On it was some etching in Pulsian, but it was much to small to make out. He held it close to his heart, muttering a soft, indistinct prayer.

He was interrupted by Serah, who was looking at him. "You okay?" she asked, breaking his reverie. The eldest Pulsian smiled. "Fine. How 'bout you?" he spoke, offering Serah to sit next to him, which she did slowly. "Better. Thank you for everything." Gamenern smiled broadly, pocketing the jewelry in his vest. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at the small pendant that as just stashed.

"Um, it…" Gamenern seemed to be flustered, searching for a long lost memory. "It was supposed to be a gift." he said with resolve, looking up at Serah. "You see, when I became a L'Cie, I was in love." He looked out of the cave, then back to Serah, who was trying to figure out the gesture. "Not Fang." he said softly, a slight blush creeping onto Serah's face. "It was a close friend of both of ours, though. A girl that I swore to keep safe from the war, no matter what." His eyes filled with sorrow as he chuckled. "Look how _that_ ended up."

Serah placed her hand on Gamenern's shoulder. "It wasn't you fault. This would've happened even if you hadn't become L'Cie." Serah's voice calmed and soothed the Pulsian, who smiled, however weakly. "Thanks." he said, leaning his head against Vanille's, sleep starting to creep up on him.

He was almost asleep when Serah asked him, "What was her name?" Gamenern thought for a second, then reluctantly said, "I'd rather not say. Kinda hard to talk about, ya know?" Serah gave an understanding nod, then cuddled up against Snow and drifted to sleep, Gamenern slowly following.

xXxXx

_They arrived on Gran Pulse with the hopes of finding a way to remove their brands. Instead, they found ruins and monsters. Though it pained Fang and Vanille, they knew that it wasn't confirmed until they saw Oerba. With everything that had happened, they hoped, _prayed,_ that Oerba had survived this mess. Yet, deep down, Fang knew that it most likely didn't._

_Lightning had, unsurprisingly, tried to distance herself away from Fang, only serving to make the Pulsian irritate her even more. Vanille, Sazh and Snow found the entire display quite amusing, though Hope was annoyed himself at Fang's persistence._

_They had just set out on the Steppes, reaching Mah'habara fairly quickly. Fang had mentioned that inside, they could expect a series of maze-like caverns and dangerous machines, though Snow saw it as a challenge and not as a warning._

_Lightning had fallen behind, supporting the group, when Fang slowed down. She matched Light's pace when she was at her side, a Cheshire grin forming. "Still hung up about the Ark?" Fang asked casually. Lightning scoffed, not answering. "Well, I must say I have a gift." Fang bragged, looking up at the cavern they had entered. Lightning was not amused._

"_You really think I'd let you try and grope me?" Light growled, her voice low and quiet. Fang's smile, if possible, widened. "Nope. I figured it'd be harder to do, though." Lightning barely, barely, resisted the urge to deck the Pulsian woman. Fang's eyes lit up, before a fit of laughter grabbed hold of her._

"_Lighten up, sunshine." Lightning winced at Fang's choice of nickname. "Life's too short. Ya gotta live for the moment."_

xXxXx_  
_

Fang watched in silence over the rest of the slumbering L'Cie, mainly Lightning. The pained expression she had when the set her down here had relaxed, as if she were dreaming. Her skin had darkened to it's normal, albeit still light, tone, marred only by the caked blood on her thigh and clothes. Still, in this injured mess, Fang couldn't help but think that the soldier was beautiful. Her pink hair was stuck to her face, and Fang had to use every ounce of willpower she had to resist brushing them from her.

With a heavy sigh, Fang tore her glance off of the sleeping soldier and to the floating shell of Cocoon. Everything she hated was in that sphere. Barthandelus, the Fal'Cie, PSICOM. Yet, Fang couldn't bring herself to destroy it now. She was sure that she could become Ragnarok at any time, such as when Lightning was impaled, and crush the alabaster sphere then and there. Yet, part of her thought better of it. It was Lightning's home, after all, and she would do anything to protect it and Serah. Fang felt a smile grace her lips.

She didn't notice the shifting of a person behind her, nor the sound of that person crawling over to her. She only acknowledged the presence when she felt the person's breath on her neck, sending chills down her spine.

"You're awake." Fang said simply, not turning to the person. Lightning smiled weakly, positioning her legs underneath her, and leaned her head against Fang's shoulder. "Yeah. Can't use my legs for some reason." she spoke with a weak voice, though it was music to Fang's ears now. Fang lay her head on Light's, her arm moving around the pinkette's shoulders. "That's good." Fang said, the exasperation in her voice evident.

Lightning nuzzled closer to Fang, feeling the Pulsian's heat on her body. "Thank you." she spoke, closing her eyes as she let the words roll off her lips. "You saved my life." Fang chuckled slightly. "Hope and Gamenern saved your life." Fang could feel Light shaking her head. "No. You did." Fang looked down at Lighting, meeting the cerulean orbs for the first time since the attack, and softened her gaze. "Of course." Fang replied, lost within the swirls of Light's eyes.

Lightning could feel the gap between them suddenly closing. Part of her cursed at her for letting it happen. The other part didn't try to stop it, instead welcoming it. Inside, a small knot had formed in her chest, making breathing difficult. She gazed deep into Fang's emerald green eyes, remembering words that Fang told her. _"Life's too short. Ya gotta live for the moment.." _Lightning felt herself succumbing to impulse, and she didn't care. All that did was that she was with Fang.

"Lightning?" Fang asked, her voice surprisingly hoarse. Fang was at a loss. She didn't feel this way about anyone in her life. Ever. Yet, here she sat, Lightning in her arms, and nothing seemed real. It was like a dream. A dream that Fang didn't want to wake up from. She tried to find her voice again, opening her mouth to speak, but a soft, slender finger covered her lips. "Don't speak." Lightning said, and Fang instantly knew what would happen next. She didn't think twice, never hesitated, didn't hold back. She closed the gap between her and Light, her lips crashing into Lightning's with fierce vigor.

Fang half expected Lightning to tense up and pull away, but the opposite happened. Lightning deepened the kiss, her tongue searching for entry. Fang granted it, a soft, muffled moan escaping her throat. Fang countered, her own tongue finding it's way into Light's mouth, eliciting a satisfied moan from the soldier's throat as well. If time would've stopped right now, and this was the last thing either woman would've remembered, then they wouldn't have cared. Right now, nothing else mattered.

Fang finally broke the embrace when she needed oxygen, though Lightning had tried to follow, savoring this moment. The soldier licked her lips, leaning back against the cliff face, looking up at Cocoon. "We can't do this…" She said, a sigh escaping her lips. Fang nodded, her brain still fuzzy from the kiss. "Not until we know that everything will be okay." Fang finished the though for Lighting, who nodded. "We need to be focused on beating Barthandelus and beating this damned focus." Lightning spoke, closed her eyes again, and drifted into a silent slumber.

Fang didn't remember falling asleep. Nor did she remember returning inside, sleeping back to back with Lightning, covered by a makeshift blanket. Her mind was far away, in a world where everything was perfect. Where their brands were gone. Where their focus meant nothing. Where a certain pink haired soldier was with her, in her arms, refusing to let go.

* * *

**Glad that's done with. Sorry again for the lack of updates, this writer's block is murder. *Sad face* Well, I will hopefully be putting up Chapter 7 soon.**

**Also, thanks for the favs and alerts guys. And, please review. I really like seeing what you guys say about my writing.  
**


	7. Challenges

**_I'll Protect You_**

**Hmm. I think I found out what's been causing me to be fairly "bleh" in my writing. I really think I'm partly ADD. I haven't been too focused on this story, instead writing several oneshots that I haven't finished, let alone post. I will post them eventually, but until then, I'll keep, hopefully, writing this story.**

**Reviews are always appreciated, so don't feel shy. Tell me what you think.**

**Word Count: 3088**

**Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing. SE does, so I can only write these.**

**Chapter 7: Challenges  
**

* * *

Lighting was aroused from sleep by a tingling sensation her legs. It was as if they had been injected with a sedative, and feeling was returning to her. She strained herself to sit upright, noting a sharp pain emanating from her left leg. Wincing, she pulled the blanket off of her legs 'When did that get here?' to examine the source of her discomfort. She could see fairly large bruise forming just above her knee, a lump jutting outwards from the bone. "Great. Broken leg…" she thought aloud, which was responded by a light chuckle.

Turning around to find the sound, she saw Fang's back facing her. The brunette had obviously been up for a while, as she turned over as soon as Lightning had turned to face her. "You remember that you were paralyzed?" Fang asked, her voice hinting some concern, but mainly, she was amused at the soldier's still stubborn attitude. Lightning shook her head, creating a weak cure spell to soothe the wound. "Nothing I can't handle." She spoke, trying to stand up on shaky legs. She would've fallen had Fang not shot up as well, supporting the thick headed leader. "Easy does it, girl."

A sigh escaped Light's lips as she turned to the rest of the group, still soundly asleep. The sun had yet to rise, and the nocturnal creatures of Gran Pulse were preparing to hole up for the day. She noticed a dampness outside, probably rain. Wouldn't be the first time it rained since they arrived 5 days ago. It had seemed like an eternity, though. Maybe because of how much had happened over the last few days. Learning more about their focus, getting Serah back, kissing Fang…

Lightning gave a wry, internal chuckle. She never thought that she could've fallen for anyone so quickly. It stunned her that she had done so, yet it felt so right, so good. Maybe this was what Serah meant by 'love at first sight'. Lighting had never given it any real thought until recently, and didn't feel like acting on any of her feelings until last night, after she learned that life wasn't going to last forever. Sure, she knew that beforehand, but she had never, ever been as close to death as she was then.

Fang gave Lightning a slight nudge, breaking her from her thoughts. "Maybe we should wake up Gamenern? He should be able to heal you right up." Fang suggested, helping Lightning sit back down against the cave wall. Lightning gave a small smile. "Sure." she replied, not looking Fang in the eyes. Her mind still raced with all the thoughts of the previous night, worrying that she did something wrong. 'But what?' she asked herself. 'Nothing I did was rejected.' Lightning sighed audibly, thought Fang shrugged it off as tiredness.

The warrior stepped over to Gamenern, who was currently in a patented Vanille death-hold, like she herself had felt in nights past. Fang smiled at the display; Gamenern looked comfortable in his sleep, despite the odd angle his arms were bent. His left arm was raised above his head, while his right was pinned between himself and Vanille, pressed against his chest. She felt almost guilty for having to wake the older man, but she knew that Lightning was more important.

Fang tensed up inside when she thought that. Lightning, more important than Vanille? Than her brother? Sure, she felt something for Lightning. One could call it love. But, was that 'love' stronger than her will to protect Vanille, or her friendship she had with Gamenern? She didn't know. It wasn't a really bad feeling, though. She had always liked a mystery; they were just another form of challenge, and everyone knows that Oerba Yun Fang loves a challenge. She loosened up, kneeling down beside her brother.

"Hey, sleepy, you awake?" She asked him, lightly shaking his shoulder. The man muttered something incoherently, then turned over (as much as he could with Vanille strangling him), and opened one eye. "Fang?" he asked groggily, opening his other eye, though neither were fully opened. He turned to Vanille, noting her death-grip on him. He gave a light laugh. "Guess I ain't movin, huh?" He asked mirthfully, turning back to Fang. "What's up?"

Fang cocked her head back, towards Lightning. Gamenern saw the soldier, sitting against the cave wall, and opened his eyes fully. "She's okay?" He asked, some concern in his voice. Fang nodded. "Yeah, fine. Just has a broken leg, that's all." Fang spoke, calm and even. Gamenern smiled, then, as if he knew some secret spell or something, undid the hold Vanille had on him. "One day, you're gonna have to show me how ya do that." Fang joked, getting a slight laugh as a response. "I'm sure you'll figure it out yourself." Gamenern replied, walking over to the seated soldier.

His eyes looked down at the injury, and he lightly ran his fingers over it. Lightning winced noticeably as he did, and he formed a light blue orb in his hand, willing it to the wound on Lightning's leg. Immediately, the soldier felt the pain disappear. "Thank you." Lightning said lightly, moving her leg to regain feeling there. "You feeling better?" Gamenern asked, sitting cross-legged in front of the soldier. "Any numbness, tingling, soreness?" He ran through a checklist, assuring that he got everything this time around. Obviously, his Libra spell had missed the injury, for reasons he couldn't think of.

The stoic soldier gave a half nod, saying. "My legs feel like they've been asleep for a while, but nothing else, no." Gamenern gave a slight "hmm", before standing up. "That's just your nerves trying to remember how to feel. Take it easy and try not to overexert yourself." He walked back over to Vanille, sitting next to the sleeping girl. "Time to wake up." He whispered, stirring the redhead. She woke up with a light smile, then looked up at the one who woke her. "Can't I sleep a little longer?" She asked playfully, still groggy. Fang responded. "Nope. Gotta get movin if we want to get to the Faultwarrens by tomorrow." The girl pouted slightly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

She immediately saw Lightning awake and alert, standing watch over the slumbering L'Cie. "Lightning, you're okay!" Vanille chirped happily, standing up and hugging the woman. Lightning tensed immediately, looking at the other Pulsians with confusion, as if asking them to help her. Fortunately, she didn't have to. The girl had woken up the rest of the L'Cie, who slowly realized what was going on.

Serah was the first one to speak, herself hugging the soldier. "You're okay." Serah's voice hinted slight sorrow and joy. This hug was returned by Lighning, who replied. "I'm not gonna leave you alone, you hear me?" Snow bounded over, placing a hand on Light's shoulder. "Glad you're okay, sis." Lightning simply gave him a mean look at his wording, though, deep inside, she was thankful for his concern. Hope had also stepped up to Lightning. "Lightning…" He said slowly, being pulled into a hug by the soldier. "Thank you." She said simply. Hope smiled at the words, returning the embrace. "No problem."

Sazh had sat down next to the long burned out fire, and huffed loudly. "Good to see you up, soldier. But, what's the plan? We still on to go to the Faultwarrens?" He caught the chocobo chick as it flew out of his hair, obviously annoyed at the lack of fire in the cave. "Of course." Lightning replied, ushering Hope and Serah over to the fire-pit. "Just need to get some food first." Lightning didn't want to actually say it, but she was starving. Anything sounded good at this point, even that behemoth stew that Fang and Vanille made in Oerba. Gamenern chuckled.

"No worries. We still got some leftovers from last night." He reached into his side satchel and pulled out the large steak of Orobon meat and forming a small fireball in his hands. He released it into the fire pit, breathing life into it's cold, damp form. Slowly, he roasted the meat over the fire, cutting it into equal portions for everyone, giving two helpings to Lightning. He knew the soldier probably needed it more than Vanille, who watched the meat go away with sorrow. She obviously wanted that last piece. Fang chuckled at the younger girl's antics.

xXxXx

They set out slowly, not wanting to rush Lightning, who fell behind. She was talking with Hope, Snow and Serah, while Sazh followed closely behind. Gamenern, Fang and Vanille all led the group, walking the path that Gamenern had pointed out. They had to dodge a lot of stray Oertoises and Behemoth Kings as they trekked further towards the Steppe, but they were still making good progress.

The group had stopped by a large river, which obviously led to Sulyya Springs, though Gamenern said that the river first cuts farther to the west, so they would lose a lot of time by trying to find the river and follow it. They decided that this would be the best place to have lunch and rest, noting that the Faultwarrens were still a good few hours away. The group had nothing of note happen while they ate. Vanille noticed an Adamantoise pod walking nearby, about a thousand feet away from the L'Cie. Gamenern said they never seek out fights, but they would still defend their young if they felt threatened. So, naturally, the L'Cie left them alone.

After a half hour rest, the group continued their journey. They fell back into the same formation as before, but Vanille had fallen behind to talk with Sazh, leaving Gamenern and Fang in the front. The huntress was fixated on the mountains up ahead, focusing on each peak as she was lost in thought. Gamenern noted this, and nudged the warrior.

"You there?" He asked, looking at the mountains that Fang was entranced by. "See something?" The huntress shook her head, letting out a breathless reply. "Just thinking…" Gamenern nodded, then turned back to Fang. "About Light?" He asked, taking note of her facial reaction. She only nodded weakly, closing her eyes and sighing. "What is wrong with me?" she asked to mainly herself, though Gamenern decided to answer.

"You love her, don't you?" He kept his voice low, a concerned tone lacing his words. Fang didn't seemed shocked. If she did, kept it well hidden. She gave a weak smile, turning back to look at the soldier. "I guess I do." She answered, her voice tinted by a slight laugh.

Gamenern nodded again, then gave a chuckle himself. "What did she say to you last night?" He saw Fang turn to him, her eyes cynical. "How did you..?" Gamenern put his hand up to silence the younger Yun. "Wonder why you woke up in the cave this morning?" he asked, his chuckle still lacing his voice. Fang sighed as she turned away, probably debating on whether she should tell him or not. Ultimately, she decided to let it out. "We decided not to get too serious until after we finish this focus." Her voice sounded tired, empty.

Gamenern sighed in exasperation. He followed it with an equally exasperated chuckle. "And if we don't?" He asked, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Fang didn't even respond; she hadn't thought about that. What if they didn't finish their focus? What if they failed? Fang shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. "We will complete this focus. We will destroy the Fal'Cie." She was confident, but Gamenern was not impressed. He looked at her, his eyes questioning her.

"Even if it means becoming Ragnarok?" he asked, forcing the warrior to cringe. That's right, he knew of her focus. They shared it; become Ragnarok and destroy Cocoon. Yet, they failed. Vanille, herself, Gamenern had failed. And Vanille was still bound by the Fal'Cie, though it was dead now. She heard from Vanille that Lightning, Snow and Sazh had killed the beast, and that they were later branded for it. Fang felt rage build up inside her. She felt helpless, hopeless.

"Tell her what you really feel, before it's too late. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Gamenern's words broke Fang from her thoughts, and she sighed. "I guess…" Was all she said, turning her attention forward. She sped up, leaving the man behind.

Gamenern felt a presence behind him and smiled. "Done talking with Sazh, I see." Vanille smiled, taking the spot where Fang once was. "Yep. Y'know, you'd make a real good couple's counselor." They redhead said, turning to Gamenern. He simply chuckled. "Really? Well, I don't like doing it. This is Fang's problem, not mine." He sounded exhausted as he finished, looking back at Fang.

That woman was really stubborn, but also very caring, he thought. She wasn't the easiest person to get along with back in Oerba, that was certain. She was always very flirty, and had several boyfriends and even girlfriends, but, from what he had been able to coax out of the many different people in Fang's love life, she never did go the distance. She never seemed to but any real value on those faces, just a slight romance, nothing more.

So, it came as a both a surprise and a relief that she had found someone to love. Granted, it wasn't very secret, like Fang and Lightning wanted it to be. She did act as if it was Vanille who was impaled by that Cie'th. He remembered talking with them that night, and the subject of Lightning and Fang came up. Serah was happy for Lightning, Vanille happy for Fang. Sazh didn't care either way, and Snow was, gawking, that's the word. Not at the revelation, but at the mental image in his mind. That was fixed quickly by a sharp jab by Serah. Hope was a little relieved, but also slightly annoyed. He obviously had taken to Lightning, even developed a small crush on her, so it was natural. And Gamenern was worried. Worried that Fang might do something foolish and end it before it should. He knew she needed someone to be there for her, and he thought that Lightning could do just that for Fang, even if neither would openly admit it.

Gamenern was snapped from his thoughts by a short jab from Vanille, who looked ahead innocently after doing so. "You're really worried, aren't ya?" She asked him, her voice casual and joyful. Gamenern sighed. "Of course I am." He said, looking back to Lightning. "Lightning doesn't look it, but she's fragile, isn't she? I just hope Fang doesn't screw things up."

Vanille gave the man a large smile. "Oh, I'd be more worried about Fang _screwing_ Lightning." She spoke in a joking tone, prompting Gamenern to laugh openly. "You're perverted, ya know that?" He asked her, joking himself. She simply nodded. "Well, Fang's got it coming, right?" She answered with her own question, a sly smirk plastering on her face. He nodded lightly, shaking the laughter from his body as they continued onwards.

They came across a large plain that overlooked the vast valley of the Faultwarrens, signaling that they had arrived. Gamenern cautiously led the group into the large outcropping, not seeing Titan anywhere. "Guess the big guy's out doing something?" Sazh asked in a low voice. Gamenern shook his head. "Nope, he knows we're here. He's planning our trial to take." The man's voice was much louder than Sazh's, so it caught the man off guard. "No need to be quiet, Sazh." Gamenern spoke, slowing to a stop near the edge of a massive drop. At least 200 feet.

The large Fal'Cie soon appeared from beyond the large mountains hiding the Faultwarrens. Everyone but Gamenern steeped back; They'd never seen Titan this close before. It was awe inspiring. He was _**huge! **_Not a single feature of his metallic body was missed, and his form stood, menacing, over the group of L'Cie.

"Fools are the ones who wish to fight their Focus." He spoke in a thunderous voice, shaking the very ground as he did. "There are those who wish to see the Maker called into our world." He pointed at the large sphere of Cocoon in the distance. "The Vipers of Lindzei. The tainted of the higher world." He brought his large arm down, gripping a large mountain in his hand. "I am not one of those. The only task I have is to ensure that this world continues onward." He then pointed at the group, his hand getting dangerously close to them.

"Ragnarok resides in one of you." He may have been pointing at someone, he may have not. It as hard to tell, as his finger dwarfed Behemoths. "One of you will tear the Nest from it's seat in the sky. And, with it's destruction, the Maker shall return." He shook his large head, returning his hand to his side. "That would spell the end of this land."

Gamenern looked peculiarly at the large Fal'Cie. "How?" He asked, knowing that the machine/creature could hear him. "How would the Maker coming back mean the end of Gran Pulse?" Titan looked at the man, noting the confusion. "The Maker would scourge this land, reshaping it in his image." Gamenern nodded, then turned to his fellow L'Cie. "You ready?" He asked them, getting several "Yeah"s from the group.

Turning back to Titan, Gamenern spoke. "We are prepared to take your Trials." Titan nodded, then roared. The sound was deafening, and even Gamenern had to cover his ears. When it subsided, Titan waived his hand over the group, teleporting them to gods knew where.

They appear in the middle of a large plain, looking out over Titan, who was now several miles away. They were much deeper in the Faultwarrens, banded together and unsure of what to do. Sazh was about to question the Fal'Cie's test, and that was when the target appeared. It wasn't threatening, but it definitely held an intimidating aura over the group. It was an Oretoise, like the one they saw before, on the plains. Only, there was something different about this one. First off, it was purple. Secondly, it seemed to be larger than your common variety Adamantoise. Gamenern made a sound that was half-groan and half-whimper. Fang looked at him, though Lightning spoke. "What is it?"

The man could barely find the words, let alone speak them. It took every ounce of his willpower to not let his fear collect in his voice. "That's a Long Gui."

* * *

**I guess I really like cliffhangers, huh? Makes for good suspense, though it can be a little annoying if done to much. I'll try to not do that.**

**Hopefully, we can get more into Fang/Lightning goodness. Might come with the next chapter, or maybe the one after that.**

**Either way, you'll see more Flight in the next few chapters. Promise.**

**R&R  
**


	8. Cofessions

_**I'll Protect You**_

**I'm surprising myself here. 2 updates in a single weekend? I must've hit some inspiration. Maybe my writer's block and ADD have gone away? Hope so. It's been saddening not being able to write.**

**Anyway, back to the story. This is the one where everything comes to a head with Fang and Lightning. It's also one of the last ones in the story, as it's this, then final battle. So, maybe 2 chapters, if I feel I can write it. Fairly action paced at the start, but less for the second half really.**

**K, enjoy!  
**

**Word Count: 4054**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy franchise. I'd probably not make it as good, anyways : P**

**Edit: My grammars are bad lol.  
**

**Chapter 9: Confessions  
**

* * *

The group wasn't sure of what to make from Gamenern's answer. It wasn't like they knew what an Adamantoise could do, but he seemed genuinely afraid of this one. It wasn't exactly comforting, the fact that the man who knew the most about Pulsian wildlife was standing in fear of what was before them.

"What's a Long Gui?" Sazh asked, scratching his head. The chocobo chirped as he did so. Gamenern sighed, bringing himself to reality. "It's a really old form of Adamantoise. It can use magic stronger than any L'Cie. Even the Fal'Cie sometimes fear these monsters. They are deadly and hard to kill." Gamenern let a grin form on his face, mimicking the one on Fang's. "It'll be hard to kill through brute force alone."

He fell into a silence, thinking up a battle strategy. It wasn't hard to do, but he seemed to be looking for an alternative, as he kept saying "That won't do" to himself, till he finally gave up. With a breathless sigh, he brought the L'Cie together.

"Here's the deal. With the powers we have now, we can't kill this thing. No two ways about it." He gave a look to Fang, hoping to calm her for what he needed to say. "We'll need a very powerful spell to kill this." He then looked at Vanille, concern in his face. "We need Death."

Fang immediately shook her head, against the notion a hundred percent. "No. I won't let her do it." Fang said, drawing her lance out and facing the creature. Gamenern frowned. "You have a better idea that won't get us killed?" He didn't have any anger in his voice, nor frustration. He had resolve. He knew that Death was the only thing that could kill this thing without them getting stomped by it. Fang faltered, then sunk her shoulders. "Fine…" She spoke, defeat in her voice.

"Good. Serah, Snow. Vanille needs plenty of time to charge the spell, and she'll need protection. Think you can do it?" He asked the two. Snow pumped his fist into the air. "No problem. She won't get hurt, swear to you." Serah nodded as well, relaying her understanding. Gamenern turned his attention to the others.

"We need to take this thing down fast enough so we don't have to suffer it's Ultima attack." He pointed back at Serah. "You know how that'll end." Serah gave slight frown, but knew it as well. "So, we need to focus fire on each front leg. Take them out and it'll fall over. Then we need to keep it down long enough for Vanille to finish the death spell." He looked at each one of the attacking force, nodding as they understood their roles. "And for Etro's sake, don't stand near the beast when Death hits it." He looked at Vanille, who was preparing herself for the trials of casting the spell. "Ready?"

Each member nodded, and Gamenern took point. The tortoise knew they were coming, and instantly went defensive. It cast some kind of barrier that made attacks near useless, then began to cast attacks on the group. Snow was able to provoke the creature, so all of the attacks were focused on him. Serah began to support the group, starting with Vanille and Snow. Vanille had her hands in her prayer symbol, chanting some kind of ancient language and focusing on the spell.

Fang charged the left leg, and the others quickly followed suit. Just like Barthandelus before, each Ravager unleashed Limit after Limit, weakening the leg until it became staggered. Each Commando unleashed everything they had, but, after the beast recovered, it barely made a dent in it's defenses.

Frustration hit Gamenern fast. "Fang!" he shouted, looking at the Pulsian. "Take out it's barrier or we'll never get it on it's knees!" The warrior nodded, forming Saboteur spells in her hands, starting with Dispel. Then she moved on, adding several more that severely weakened the beast. It's cries of pain became the main sound in the valley, replacing the casting of spells and grunts of fighters.

Gamenern began the assault immediately, targeting the same leg as before. Lightning lunged at it, her blade barely able to scratch the creature's thick hide, let alone draw blood. Still, her magic seemed to have better luck, so she focused on that where possible. Hope threw spell after spell hoping that the creature would be weakened by them somewhat.

Though it took a lot of energy, the creature's left leg went slack, signaling that it was done for. "One more time." Gamenern spoke quietly, motioning for Fang to go back to her saboteur spells. Sazh supported her with his enhancements, as Gamenern and Hope began to top off any lost energy in the L'Cie. Snow and Serah were seeing great luck with keeping Vanille safe, as the target had yet to stomp the ground.

As soon as the thought crossed Gamenern's mind, the creature stomped with tremendous force, rattling everyone who happened to be on the ground. Gamenern cast a look to Vanille, who had been shaken, but was still focusing on the death spell. After sending a round of Curaja's to the group, he went on the offensive. He dug his axe deep into the beast's right leg, getting far enough in to draw some blood, despite it being mainly a small scratch in comparison to some of Gamenern's more deadly attacks. Still, it was quite a feat to do with a single attack.

The Ravagers of the group all repeated their last round of attacks against the leg, hoping to stagger it quickly. It was going quite well. The leg staggered quickly, the ailments that Fang had laid on it taking hold with a vengeance. Each attack did more and more damage to the creature, weakening the leg, causing it to buckle. With a primal battle cry, Fang unleashed her Highwind attack, tearing a large gash into the creature's leg, and sending it to the ground with tremendous force.

Gamenern smiled, turning back to Vanille. She had begun to get an aura around her like a fire was burning near her, warping the air around her. That rippling was tinted by a slight tinge of black, signaling that the death spell was almost done charging. Just a few more moments, and the creature would be dead.

Focus in his eyes, Gamenern turned back to the Long Gui. It was crying out in pain as Fang threw every manner of debuff at the beast, weakening it with each one. Snow and Serah began to cautiously attack the creature with Ravager attacks, while the others did so as well. Gamenern began to charge, swinging at the creature's large, tusked head, blinding the beast with a blow to it's eye. The cry of pain it released signaled it had been staggered. The group released everything they had against it, hoping to hold it down long enough to let Vanille finish her spell.

They didn't have to. At the moment it became staggered, Vanille had finished charging the spell. Gamenern noticed this out of the corner of his eye, then turned to the group. "Get away from it!" he shout, putting a sizeable distance between him and the Long Gui. The other's followed suit, distancing themselves from the creature. It began to rise from the sudden lack attackers, intent on unleashing it's fury as a counter attack.

Vanille looked nothing like the chipper, bubbly girl she normally did. She was surrounded by a sinister dark aura, her eyes no more than black orbs, seeping dark magic. Her hands were surrounded by a dark fire, matching the aura around her. She spoke, her voice as inhuman as the Cie'th they fought beforehand. "Death!"

A shadowy, winged creature formed behind Vanille, looming over her as she pointed at the Long Gui, charging it's Ultima spell at the sentinel who had it's attention. It never got it off, however. The shadowy figure lunged at the Gui, engulfing it. It let out several sickening cries of pain and agony, as if something were torturing the creature. Vanille's face was determined, almost sadistic. She had an eerie smile on her face as the creature suffered, before the spell, and the Long Gui, dissipated into nothingness.

The rest of the group was in shock. They had never seen the spell cast before, nor did they know Vanille had such power inside of her. Gamenern looked at Fang, seeing her concerned and afraid look at what Vanille had done. Her mouth was slightly opened, her eyes wide.

xXxXx

Vanille looked normal now, though slightly pale. She looked around at the group, looking at her with fear and awe. She smiled slightly, before fainting on the spot. Gamenern caught her before she hit the ground, with Fang arriving just a second after she succumbed to the fatigue. Fang's face was now not one of concern; it was one of anger.

"See what happened! I told you not to let her cast the death spell!" Fang shouted at Gamenern, as they were approached by the other L'Cie. Hope cast a cure spell to Vanille, though it didn't seem to stir her. "She'll be fine, Hope. Cures will help, but she'll have to recover on her own. Won't be to long, maybe tonight." Gamenern said to the boy when he began to get frustrated, before turning to Fang. "The reason I chose to use the death spell was because that's what Titan wanted to see. He wants to see how far we are willing to go to fight this focus." Gamenern didn't let anger build in his voice, though there was some slight annoyance. Fang wasn't convinced, and simply folded her arms over her chest. "Whatever." She said coldly, turning to the lumbering form of Titan. He had approached while they were tending to Vanille.

"You have shown that you are willing to challenge you focus to the end." He said, putting his hand out to the L'Cie once more. "You shall be rewarded with the power to return to Cocoon, and to defeat that which you have sworn to." He said these words last, before teleporting the group away from the Faultwarrens.

When the group could make sense of their surroundings, they seemed lost. Yes, they were no longer in the Fualtwarrens, but they were in Oerba. It didn't make sense. Why here? And why was it nighttime?

In the darkness, Sazh spotted an airship, similar to the one that they came to Gran Pulse on. "Guess that's our reward, huh?" he said, pointing at the ship. Snow nodded, then took a look at his brand. It was still black, yes, but it seemed different. "Something's different about my brand." He said, showing it to Gamenern and Fang. The older of the two scoffed, then looked back towards the Fautlwarrens. "Guess he gave us some time to think." He said, looking up at Fang. The Pulsian was still not talking, and simply looked around. "We need to find a place to stay the night." She said simply.

Gamenern nodded, then stood up, Vanille in his arms. He looked around, noticing that they were in the more residential area of Oerba. "Guess we have some options, huh?" He said, then looked at the group. "Serah, Snow, you two should take a shack to yourselves." Lightning looked at the man incredulously, not wanting to hear of it. Gamenern shook his head. "Tonight might be the last night we have. The way I see it, what harm would come of making the most of it?" He looked at the couple behind Lightning, and the soldier softened her expression up lightly, then turned to her sister.

"Fine, go." She said, looking at Snow before the two left. A sigh forming on her lips, Lightning went to another shack in silence. Sazh and Hope looked at the soldier as she left. Hope went to follow her, but Gamenern stopped him. "She's probably gonna want to be left alone." He said, despite the dejected look on Hope's face. The man looked at Fang, then back to Hope. "I know you're smart enough to put the pieces together, huh?" He asked Hope, who nodded. "Yeah, I am. Didn't want to believe it, though." Hope said, looking at the unconscious form of Vanille. Gamenern chuckled. "She'll be fine, Hope. Promise." He said, motioning for Hope to follow him.

xXxXx

Gamenern, Vanille, Fang, Sazh and Hope all entered the largest house in the square; a 2 bedroom house with a small kitchen. Gamenern motioned to the two men, who simply nodded before stretching out for sleep. He smiled, then walked into a room with Vanille, followed by Fang. Inside, Gamenern placed Vanille gingerly on the bed, running a soothing cure spell over her.

"I though you said cures would only make her feel better when she wakes up?" Fang said, still bitter. Gamenern sighed, then turned to Fang. "Enough with the act. You know damn well that she's done worse to herself and recovered just fine." He spoke, the annoyance in his voice unbecoming of him. It worked, however, as Fang softened up as soon as he stopped. "I'm sure you remember your first hunt, right?" He said, turning back to Vanille to move a lock of hair from her sleeping face.

Fang winced as she heard the words. How could she forget. Gamenern broke her thought. "How you got jealous that I was given the title of hunter before you? How I was treated like an adult from then on out, while you were still just my kid sister?" He spoke with slight nostalgia. Fang sighed loudly, and Gamenern took it as a cue to continue.

"So, you and your stubborn ass had to show that you were worthy of being a huntress." He spoke with a slight laugh, turning to Fang and leaning against the bed frame. "You remember what you decided to hunt down?" He waited for Fang to answer him, but she never did. He smiled. "You decided to hunt the Aman that was attacking caravans coming through Sulyya." He turned to the window now, examining the night sky. "It was a disaster. You were outmatched, outgunned. You were cut along your arm, had several bite marks on your legs, and you were covered in blood and sweat. Sure, you injured that Aman pretty badly, but it was about to kill you." Gamenern didn't seem to falter as he spoke. "If Vanille hadn't told me that you had left to go hunt it, you might have been killed then." He gave a pause, letting Fang take in what was said. "Remember what happened next? Vanille saved you. She took the Storm Bolt it sent at you. The distraction allowed Elder Hassen the chance to shoot it and kill it."

The pause after Gamenern spoke his last words made Fang uneasy. She had passed out long before then, and she didn't know Vanille was injured because of her. "When you woke up, Vanille was overjoyed. I was relieved, myself." He looked Fang in the eyes, though the woman tore her gaze away, looking at Vanille's sleeping form. "I told you and Vanille, after you woke up, 'I'll protect you, no matter what happens. I promise.' Well, Fang, I don't go back on my promises." He stood up, then forced Fang to look him in the eyes. "You need to go to Lightning." He said with a firm resolve.

Fang looked down, backing away from the man. Gamenern frowned as Fang backed away, once more folding her arms over her chest. "Me and her agreed that we shouldn't get too close until we finished this focus." She then shook her head, keeping Gamenern from speaking. "I know what you said. We haven't got much time left. But I don't want to hurt Lightning anymore than I absolutely have to." She bit her lip as she spoke, letting slip what she didn't what to. Gamenern caught on fairly quickly. "You're going to become Ragnarok, aren't you? That's why you aren't going to Lightning." Gamenern gauged Fang's reaction, which was more than she could ever vocalize.

Fang sighed heavily, looking away from Gamenern. "I just don't want her to feel to attached to me. I haven't exactly got a choice in the matter. Besides, she knows we have to stay focused on the task at hand." Fang's voice was filled with feigned resolve, and she seemed to be trying to convince herself as much as Gamenern. Gamenern, however, wasn't convinced. He simply shook his head, and grabbed Fang firmly by the shoulders. He gave her a goofy, soothing smile.

"Y'know, you're the thickest person I've ever met." He said, getting a playful shove in response. "You know as well as I that's the lamest excuse ever. So you become Ragnarok?" Fang's expression immediately went cynical. "Hear me out. You go Ragnarok. Then what?" He leaned against the wall of the room, his arms folded across his chest now. "Lets say it goes like last time. You end up as a crystal. You complete our focus for us. And let's say, for the sake of argument, that Lightning and everyone else wakes up from stasis immediately." He looked at Fang with a serious gaze. "If you don't tell her what you feel, and she feels the same way, which I know she does, what do you think will happen to her? Snow will have Serah, which means that she won't have her sister in the way she would hope." He shook his head as Fang seemed to be struggling with the point.

"My point is, she'll probably go into some kinda depression." He pushed from the wall, moving once again closer to Fang. "She'd have to live with the regret that there'd never be anything between the two of you. Do you really think that kind of pain is worse than having Ragnarok take you away if she at least confessed what she feels?" Fang slouched her shoulders, obviously understanding what Gamenern was saying finally. "I guess you're right…" She said quietly. Gamenern chuckled, giving Fang a friendly slap on the back. "Of course I am." Fang once again gave his a playful shove. "Now, why are you still here?" He motioned to the house that Lightning had gone into, and Fang reluctantly walked to the door.

Before she got there, she turned around, then asked. "Is this why you stopped the kid from following Lightning?" Gamenern shook his head, looking down at Vanille. "What are you talking about?" He asked innocently, though Fang chuckled lightly. "Of course not." She said, walking out of the room, then past the sleeping forms of Hope and Sazh. The chocobo took note of her leave, though remained quiet, thankfully. She'd hate to have to explain herself to Hope and the old man.

xXxXx

"Leavin' already, huh?" Sazh spoke, surprising Fang. "Yeah, just needed some air is all." She replied, not turning away from the door. The man huffed, then sat up on the couch he was sleeping on. "You've made her happy, you know?" The old man said, once again shocking the Pulsian. He laughed lightly. "Don't deny it. I ain't one to judge." He said, throwing his hands in the air. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright? You make her mad and we have to suffer." The man was obviously joking, though Fang still felt like he knew more than her leading onto. Maybe he heard the conversation she had with Gamenern?

Nevertheless, she steeled herself and stepped outside, looking at the house that Lightning had entered. It was the smallest of them all, with just a bedroom and a bathroom. Fang gathered every ounce of resolve she had and trekked across the square, passing the airship that they'd use tomorrow to fly back to Cocoon and take out Barthandelus. 'Don't think about it.' She told herself, instinctively clutching her brand, despite it no longer progressing. 'Tonight's about you and Lightning.' She gave a feigned smile as she climbed the steps of the shack, and knocked on the wooden door 3 times.

A few seconds went by before the door was swung open by a half dressed Lightning. She only wore her turtle neck and her shorts. Fang used every ounce of willpower in her to not utter some cheesy pickup line. Instead, she went with, "Can I come in?" Lightning stepped aside, allowing passage into the shack.

It was actually deceivingly large. The living room had a small couch and coffee table that led into the kitchen, lined with several counters and a large refrigerator. The hallway that led to the bedroom was fairly wide, with a second door that most likely went to the bathroom, and a third door, most likely a closet or storage area of some sort.

Lightning broke the silence fairly bluntly. "What do you want, Fang?" Her voice was slightly annoyed, and slightly surprised. Fang sighed, though she didn't say anything for a moment, long enough for Lightning to speak again. "I thought we agreed not to let anything happen until we finish this focus." Light's voice softened, now in wonder. Fang gave a small chuckle.

"Who said we would? Finish this focus?" Fang was asking honestly, thought Lightning shrugged it off. "We will finish this. We can't fail." Fang shook her head, stepping closer to Lightning, who didn't try to back away. "What if we don't? Just think about it for a second." Fang spoke softly, brushing a few stray bangs from Light's face. The soldier didn't flinch at the contact, though she did blush slightly. "We will." She spoke, her resolve broken by a slight tenderness from Fang's light touch.

"Pretend that we don't." Fang said into Light's ear, sending shivers down the soldier's back. "If we were to die tomorrow, would you have any regrets about us? Any at all?" Fang said, pulling away to plant a kiss on Light's lips. The touch sent Lightning into daze, and she had to lace her arms behind Fang's neck in order to support herself.

The kiss was fairly light and quick, as Fang simply gave a small smile to Lightning. "Well?" Fang asked. Lightning kept her eyes closed, thinking hard about the question. When she came to an answer, she smiled and opened her eyes. "If this night continues like this, then I won't." Her voice was calm, steady, not like her insides, which were all knotted up and felt like balloons. Fang smiled, then placed a much more forceful kiss on Light.

The soldier responded with vigor Fang wasn't prepared for, but it still didn't surprise her. She slowly and blindly led Lightning to the hallway, trying to find the bedroom. She hadn't even gotten to the door before Lightning had undone her belt, dropping it on the floor right outside the room. They pushed their way inside, Fang leading Lightning to the bed. She was able to get there before the soldier pulled her sari off, placing it on a pile next to the bed.

Slowly, their clothes were thrown haphazardly across the room, draped from various, sometimes peculiar, places. The sounds of passionate moans filled the house, as the two women made love to each other. The sounds of heavy breathing, shuffling sheets, and the occasional, albeit faint, Cie'th cry, also played in the background, the only music to dance of passion they were engaged in underneath the sheets.

Every movement made sent the other into an ecstasy beyond anything either had felt in their lives. Each touch bringing moans and shudders of passion and arousal. Each kiss filled with vigor and ferocity. They slowly worked their lover's body, taking in every sound, every movement, every taste.

Neither was sure of what time they finally fell asleep, though it wasn't long before sunrise. It wasn't as if they cared. The love confessed last night was all that did matter. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, in the other's warm, soothing embrace. Each one knowing that tonight may have been the last night that they would spend together.

Fang was the first to wake up. She stirred quietly, and, when she was fully awake, she tried hard not to wake up Lightning. Her left arm was currently underneath Lightning's shoulders, the soldier's head nuzzled between her arm and her breast. Fang smiled at the soldier's affection, her right hand petting the pink locks of Lightning's head. She whispered into the other's ear, a stray tear falling down her face, the pain slightly evident in her voice. "I love you."

* * *

**Okay, guys. How was it?**

**I know that a Long Gui in game will not be "killed" by death, but it's a fanfiction. I guess I took some creative liberties with the creature. Sorry if it confused you all.**

**Like I said before, the story is nearing the end. There'll most likely be 2 chapters, so stay tuned. I hope you guys will find it interesting enough to do so.**

**R&R  
**


	9. Till the End

_**I'll Protect You**_

**Well, this is _almost_ the end. Just one more chapter to go until I'll have completed my very first fanfiction. It's kinda bittersweet. I'm happy that this is finally finished, but I really like the way this story came together. And, to my faithful reviewers (and the readers who at least read this far, even if they don't review), I thank you the most. I'm really pleased that at least some people out there like my work and my story. Thank you all.**

**Now, this story is much like Chapter 6, with flashbacks, written in _italics_ like last time. These flashbacks cover the march through Eden, which I thought about doing in a separate chapter, but I felt that would be dragging the story down. So, I just put it in flashbacks. There is some action in this chapter, but it's more of an emotional take on the final battle.**

**K, now, time for the story.**

**Word Count: 4344**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFXIII, characters or otherwise. All characters (except my OC) are property of SE. Well, all but Lightning. Fang owns her. Tehe!  
**

**Chapter 9: Till the End  
**

* * *

The group stood in the middle of a large, semi-circular room with a throne directly in front of them. They were sure that here, Barthandelus would be watching over the destruction of Cocoon. He was not here, however, which gave the room a much more sinister feeling. The sounds of a clock ticking, or so it sounded like, broke the silence, though it did little to make it more inviting.

Lightning was the first to speak, her voice calm and firm. "You ready?" She asked the other L'Cie. Everyone of them gave reassuring huffs, and Lightning drew her Blazefire Saber. She pointed it at the throne, letting out a simple request. "Show yourself."

Barthandelus appeared on the throne before them, facing them with a dark grin. He laughed; a dark, sinister laugh, taunting the group. "You have already done what I needed you to do." He shifted in the throne, pointing his staff at the group. "You have come to the Narathex, to Orphan's Cradle." He was shifting his gaze to each individual member of the group. "You will now have no choice but to destroy Orphan. But will you make Cocoon suffer due to your blind will to fight your focus? Or will you at least make the death quick and painless?"

Gamenern growled in rage as Menrva reappeared, flying straight at the Fal'Cie. "We will destroy you and save Cocoon!" Barthandelus, now in his monstrous Fal'Cie form, laughed. He shot several laser beams at the group, all of which were dodged or deflected. "This ends now!"

xXxXx

_Morning light. It was bright and dim at the same time. It shone upon the slumbering L'Cie a new day. Their last day. Today, they would storm Eden, destroy Barthandelus, and either kill Orphan and become crystal, or do nothing and become Cie'th. Nothing could prepare the group for this day. This was gut-check time._

_Slowly, the group gathered in the house Gamenern had slept in. Hope, Sazh and Vanille were already awake when a groggy Fang walked in, haphazardly dressed in her sari and looking like she had gone 10 rounds with a King Behemoth. Vanille giggled at Fang's appearance._

"_What?" The warrior asked, her voice laced with tiredness and annoyance. Vanille only giggled louder._

"_You have fun with Lightning last night?" The red-head asked, gaining two different looks from two different people. Fang looked at Vanille with that 'How'd you know?' look, while Hope looked at her with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth. The young girl huffed, feeling both stares on her._

"_Well, all I can say is it's about damn time." Gamenern cut in, hoping to break the tension. Hope nodded slowly, while Fang merely shrugged. She sat down on the couch, waiting for Lightning to wake._

_The soldier in question stirred only a few minutes after Fang had left. Remembering the last night, she felt no awkwardness in waking up nude. She simply smiled as she gathered her uniform and got dressed. The only thing that unnerved her was the silence of the house._

_When she was finished dressing, she walked into the living area of the house. No one was there, so she assumed Fang gathered wherever Gamenern and the others were to wait for everyone to stir. She shook her head with a smile, walking out of the shack and towards the largest house in the square, the obvious choice for a gathering point._

_The group was ready to leave within the hour. Sazh had begun his pre-flight check up, making sure that the ship wasn't rigged like the one they last received from a Fal'Cie. This one was almost an exact replica of the one they crashed onto Gran Pulse with only a week or so ago. Lightning, however, waited outside, her gaze fixated on the shell of Cocoon._

_Fang was the one who broke her trance, nudging the soldier lightly. "You there?" The warrior asked, slight concern but heavy humor in her voice. Lightning smiled, turning to Fang._

"_Not really." She saw no point in lying. Fang would see through it anyways. "I was thinking. About the past week. About last night. About what will happen after today." Lightning never once broke her gaze on Fang, which was returned by the Pulsian. Fang smiled lightly._

"_Don't you worry about tomorrow. We can deal with that when it comes." Fang spoke, giving Lightning a side-hug. "We need to focus on killing Barthandelus, remember?" The soldier nodded, a slight blush on her face from Fang's sudden close contact. That blush got even brighter when Fang placed a light, chaste kiss on her lips._

_Serah, thankfully, was the one who discovered the pair as she stepped out of the airship. She cleared her throat loudly, breaking the kiss the two women were sharing. "We're ready to go." She said simply, the uncertainty in her voice justified._

xXxXx_  
_

Barthandelus had trouble keeping up with the assault of all 8 L'Cie, despite his great power. Serah's Ultima spell was even more powerful than the Fal'Cie's, and she was able to cast the spell several times in fairly quick succession. Lightning and Sazh both executed attacks like the ones they performed on him in Oerba, while Hope, Vanille and Snow all supported the group with magic attacks. Fang and Gamenern were able to deal massive damage with their physical attacks, threatening to shatter the Fal'Cie's shell.

As soon as the monster couldn't take any more abuse, a flash of light radiated from him. Several cracks had formed in his outer shell, releasing the magic inside. He slowly melted away into a pool of liquid magic, dripping into a pit behind the throne, which faded to nothingness with the Primarch's final defeat.

The guard of the L'Cie fell quickly. They had done what they had come to do; Kill Barthandelus. It felt good to every one, especially Gamenern. His family was finally avenged after 500 years. He formed his Prayer Symbol, uttering a prayer to his fallen bloodline.

Then, a sickeningly dark laugh was heard. It came from the pool Barthandelus melted into. "With death comes life." The voice spoke. "With life comes creation." A large, crystalline hand reached from the muck, slamming down in front of the L'Cie in a large fist. Slowly, the monster came into full view- A large, sword-like Fal'Cie with 3 faces. One of them looked like Barthandelus, but it was much more jagged, like it was formed of crystal, like a Cie'th. The other was feminine, with a single arm, short and white, a large, snake-like tail forming at it's bottom. The final one looked like a sleeping child's, content and peaceful.

"Men are frail and weak, easily manipulated and led on." The menace said, now with a second, female voice speaking with it. The womanly figure of the Fal'Cie spoke with the Barthandelus look-a-like. "Push too much, and they break under the force." Another fist hit the ground, shaking the L'Cie's balance. "Don't push enough, and they search blindly for the answers!"

Gamenern was the first to regain his orientation, holding his axe at the Fal'Cie. "Who are you!" He asked, as the other L'Cie took up battle stances behind the man. The Fal'Cie laughed.

"We are the one born to die. We power all in this shell." The words were eerily soft and calm. "We are Orphan. We are the one that will bring the Maker back." The Fal'Cie then swung it's menacing left arm, batting the L'Cie to the wall far away from it.

xXxXx

_After their grand entrance into Eden, on the backs of their Eidolons and interrupting the annual Velocycle Races, the L'Cie began their warpath through the capital, fighting off several PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldier's as they progressed. Serah was very wary of harming another person, no matter how much that person wanted to kill her. She defended herself, but never fought back._

_In order to reduce the chance of being captured, the group decided to split into 2 groups of 4. Serah, Snow, Hope and Sazh went one way, while Fang, Gamenern, Vanille and Lightning went the other way. They agreed to meet back up in Siren Park, the large plaza that was a popular destination in Eden._

_While fighting their way through the roads of Eden, Snow's group was met by a single Templar, who blocked their advance. He didn't pose to much of a threat, but the L'Cie knew better than to let their guard down._

_The man was shockingly fast, able to dodge the L'Cie's attacks and launch his own. He was deadly accurate and powerful, forcing Hope to stay in medic the entire fight. Sazh and Serah desperately tried to fight the man off, but he seemed unaffected by their attacks._

_Then, he moved like a bolt of lightning, impaling Snow with his lace. While the wound didn't hit anything vital, it still hurt like hell. However, he grabbed the lance through his pain, holding the man still. Biting back the pain in his voice, Snow smiled. "You might wanna reconsider that idea."_

_A squish. The sound of crackling. A chill hit the air. Snow sighed. "Too late." He said._

_Behind the Templar, Serah stood, her knife impaling the man just underneath his chest plate in it's only weak spot. Her Froststrike was freezing him from the inside out, and the manadrives in the armor only helped speed the process up. Before the man let out his last, ragged breath, he was dead, his insides turned into an ice cube._

_With a grunt, Snow pushed the man backwards. Instead of collapsing to the ground, he fell back like a wax mannequin, stiff and motionless. A sickening cracking could be heard as he hit the ground with a silent thud. The wound Snow had was mended by Serah and Hope, both of whom had their Curasa's at the ready._

_Snow gave a playful hug to Serah, rubbing her hair. "That's my girl." Serah simply smiled at Snow's affection._

xXxXx_  
_

Orphan looked on as the group of rag-tag L'Cie lay, hopeless and weakened, across the floor of the Cradle. "Pitiful." He spoke, his hand moving to form a spell, a red and black aura forming in the purple hand. "You are easily broken and easily swayed." He laughed sinisterly. "Your emotions are you downfall."

He looked over each of the L'Cie, as if picking fruit at a vendor. "Your will to fight your focus will be the ultimate reason you will complete it." He pointed the spell at Vanille, lifting her limp body into the air, bound by two red and black binding rings. "One of you will become Ragnarok." He held his palm out, causing the rings to surge a painful energy. The pain caused Vanille to scream out, writhing from the torture.

The rest of the L'Cie had been stirred by Vanille's cries of pain. Fang was the first one to notice what was going on. "Vanille!" She shouted, lunging at the large Fal'Cie. An invisible barrier thrust her back, sending her careening into Gamenern, who was able to effortlessly catch her flying form.

Fang then spoke weakly, her voice pained as if she was the one being tortured. "I'll do it."

The words worked, and Vanille was released from Orphan's spell. Gamenern caught her as well, tending to her injuries. Everyone else looked at Fang in disbelief. "I'll become Ragnarok. I'll kill you." Fang's voice had regained it's normal fire. Orphan laughed.

His hand outstretched to her, a single finger pointed at her L'Cie brand. It a flash of red, and accompanied by a searing pain, it became black once again, the eye nearly opened to it's entirety. "You have chosen the right path, L'Cie." Orphan spoke, as if praising a child for a job well done.

Fang brought her lance upwards, looking at Gamenern. "I'm sorry." She said, bringing the blade down towards him.

The impact never came, for Lightning, Snow and Sazh all restrained her. "You've lost your mind, Fang!" Lightning half-shouted, half-pleaded with the warrior, who forcibly fought her way out of the trio's grasp.

Fang's face became determined. "I made a promise 500 years ago." Her voice betrayed the determination in her face; it was breaking and weak. "I promised that my family would never end up as Cie'th." Fang then looked back up at Orphan, a growl forming in her throat.

As she released that growl, she threw her lance sky high, lunging after it with a grace akin to that of a cat. She grabbed the lance with both hands, an orange glow forming around her as she landed, a shockwave blasting back the rest of the group in a large, orange flash.

xXxXx

_Leviathan Square. It was the main road into Edenhall, and the proverbial front door of the Sanctum and PSICOM._

_And right now, that door was being knocked on by a very large, very angry adamantoise._

_The group was able to give the creature the slip when it tried to follow the group inside, but ended up falling through the glass floor of the foyer. The few PSICOM soldiers were too shocked by the creature that had tried to barge inside to fight back against the L'Cie, who now had a clear shot to Edenhall._

_Led by Lightning, the L'Cie pressed on, to the mangled wreckage of a fighter airship. The ship was surrounded by dead Sacrifice Cie'th and PSICOM units._

_The ship suddenly roared to life, lifting off and facing the L'Cie. "You shall not enter the capital, L'Cie." The voice of Rosch spoke, directing several blaster attacks at the L'Cie._

_Despite the large difference in firepower and size, the fight against the _Proudclad_ was not difficult, and, with a final groan of metal gears grinding, the ship crashed unceremoniously to the ground, destroyed._

_Slowly, a bleeding, dying Rosch stepped out from the wreckage. "Rosch…" Snow spoke, stepping forward, but was stopped by Gamenern, who shook his head._

"_I have failed Cocoon." Yaag said, looking up at the Phoenix. He gave a mirthless chuckle, before turning to his enemies. "My men?" he asked, clutching his chest in pain._

_The downcast looks of the L'Cie were all the answer he needed. He sighed, leaning back against the wreckage of his airship. "I have done far too many unforgivable crimes to be forgiven, L'Cie." He spoke with a tint of regret in his voice. "Under the sway of a panicked populace, I've murdered thousands of innocent lives." He shook his head, blood from a gash on his forehead flying in every direction. "I've made it my personal mission to see you killed."_

_He sighed again, and grabbed his communicator. "This ends today." He said as he put the earpiece to his ear, speaking into the device. "This is PSICOM Director Rosch." He paused for a second before continuing. "All PSICOM and Guardian Corps units are to terminate the hunt for the L'Cie." The group gapped at this revelation. "Focus all attention on evacuating civilians from Eden and fending off the Pulse monsters." He dropped the earpiece as he finished, collapsing to the ground._

_Again, Snow stepped forward, kneeling just before the man. "You stay alive. We'll come get you when we're finished." The NORA leader said, motioning for the other to follow. The PSICOM Director laughed._

"_I told you. I will not be forgiven." The man sat up, his back resting against the ship. The others continued, not taking to heart his words._

_The last thing they heard from him was the explosion that decimated him, his ship, and 3 King Behemoths._

xXxXx_  
_

Where Fang once stood, the hideous form of some monster had taken shape. It looked a lot like a dragon, but lacked wings. He had some characteristics of Fang, such as her tattoo and her untamed hair, but the majority of him was based more on an orange Bahamut.

Vanille silently wept at the sight of the beast. She didn't think that Fang would ever do such a thing. She never thought Fang would do this, knowing full well what would happen.

The beast roared; a primal, bestial roar that honestly frightened most of the L'Cie. It hurt Lightning and Vanille more than frightened, for they knew what this meant. Fang was no longer there. It was only the beast of wrath. The destroyer of Cocoon.

Ragnarok.

The creature lunged at Orphan, hitting the barrier and being pushed back. It caught it's footing quickly, and countered the attack. It didn't take long to break a hole in the barrier, bringing a maniacal laugh to Orphan. "Yes. Deliver us to salvation!" The Fal'Cie egged the monster on, increasing it's drive to kill Orphan.

However, in just the body of Fang, Ragnarok had no power to destroy Orphan once it's barrier fell. It's attack was simply deflected by the sword-like maniac, pushing Ragnarok back into the body of Fang, who was caught by Snow. The woman gave a grunt as she landed in his arms, pain searing through her body.

"Disgusting." Orphan said, blasting a spell at Snow and Fang, grabbing hold of Fang like it did Vanille. "You are too weak to complete your focus, L'Cie." The brand on Fang's arm was whitened once more. "Perhaps a simple sacrifice is needed?"

The laughter of Orphan was enough to confirm what he had done. The flash of white blinded the huntress. When she could see once more, all she saw was another failure.

Lightning, Sazh, Hope, Snow, Serah. They had all become Cie'th. They had all been bitten by their brands, and had failed to fight this focus. Emotional pain rose up in Fang's body, though it was dwarfed by the physical pain caused by Orphan's spell.

Another spell brought feeling back to Fang, only to have the painful spell hit her again. This was torture in it's perfect form. Killing the victim, then reviving them, only to repeat the cycle. The pain Fang was feeling was unlike what she had ever felt in her life. Each time that spell hit her, she felt her voice release an uncharacteristic scream of agony.

"Retake the form of Ragnarok, and this pain will end. You will be safely in your crystal sleep." Orphan taunted, now using both the death spell and revive spells at once, increasing the pain by tenfold, if it were possible to feel a pain beyond that of dying and being alive at the same time.

Vanille stood up from her spot in Gamenern's arms, who was looking at Fang with fear in his eyes. His anger was building, but Vanille's words were more than he held for Orphan. "I'll do it."

Orphan stopped his torture of Fang to look at the girl, standing defiantly below Fang. Fang's hoarse voice fought her sister's decision. "No, Vanille. Run. Now…" She faded out, pain taking over once more.

Vanille shook her head, releasing several tears. "No. No more running. I will do this. Just bring our friends back!" The girl was pleading with Orphan, who simply laughed.

"As you wish."

Suddenly, there was a large flash of energy from behind the group. Turning around, the other L'Cie had appeared, and were glowing with the spells they just unleashed onto Orphan. "Yeah, we're back." Lightning said sarcastically, her gun blade pointed at Orphan, and Fang's lance in her other hand. The other L'Cie agreed, standing just behind Fang's collapsed form.

xXxXx

_Wladislaus. It was a dangerous enemy. Cunning, fast, and powerful. Everything about him was built around being deadly._

_But, even a dangerous enemy like the Wladislaus couldn't stand up to the L'Cie. In a fairly quick fight, the monster fell to the directed assault of the 8 fighters._

_Once they defeated him, the group was teleported out. Unfortunately, the group was split up. Fang and Lightning were together, but they had no clue were the other L'Cie were. Lightning was uncertain as to what to expect, but felt safer knowing that she would face it with Fang watching her back._

_The Pulsian was deathly silent ever since arriving on Cocoon. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe it was fear. Neither seemed to suit the Pulsian, who was always smiling, always happy. Much like Vanille. Very unlike Lightning._

_Lightning couldn't deny that meeting Fang may have been the best thing that ever happened to her. Even she was able to see that. With Fang, everything seemed okay, even in this horrible situation. Fang put her at ease, allowed her to relax. Even allowed her to show a side no one even knew the soldier had. Lightning had to admit, it was refreshing._

"_We need to find the others if we want to continue." Fang spoke, pointing with her lance to a small portal in front of them. Lightning nodded slightly, taking the lead as she stepped through it._

_Nothing of any note appeared in front of them, only a large tower-like structure, looking a lot like the small platforms flying around them in this endless expanse that was the Tesseracts. Lightning let out a heavy sigh at the sight before them._

"_We wait." She said without breath. Fang nodded, then sat down against the large tower. She looked the soldier up and down, taking in the features she may not see again after tonight. Her beautiful face. Her unusual attire. Her navel piercing. Her smooth legs. And, most of all, that messy pink hair._

_Fang's smile didn't put Lightning off anymore, but she was still intrigued by the grin. Lightning returned the smile. "You see something you like?" She asked with a sly tone. The warrior's smile deepened._

"_Careful, Light. Wouldn't want the others to walk in on us in the middle of something, right?" Fang asked, her tone easily matching Light's, and was also laced with humor._

_The soldier let her smile fade after a few seconds of companionable silence, replaced by a small frown. She let her eyes travel to the Fal'Cie Eden, far away from them, leading them to their next goal. Fang also frowned, slightly taken aback by Lightning's sudden mood swing._

"_I thought I told you not to worry about what'll happen?" She asked, standing up to approach the pinkette. Lightning simply shook her head, and captured Fang's hand, traveling up to her face, in her own hand._

"_I can't help it." Lightning said sadly, looking the warrior in the eyes. She was also taking in every feature of Fang's face. "We are either going to end up as crystal or Cie'th. Can't say that's a very attractive offer." Again, sorrow._

_Fang closed the gap between the two, binging Lightning into a hug, her arms holding the soldier loosely. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll make sure of it." While Fang was being sarcastic (or was she?), Lightning felt reassured in Fang's words. She smiled, returning the embrace the warrior had on her._

"_I love you, Fang." Lightning spoke quietly, audible by Fang though it wouldn't have been to anyone looking on at the two. Fang tightened the embrace slightly, returning the sentiment._

"_I love you too, Light." she replied. She soon felt Light's lips on hers, wanting a small, final kiss before everything that would happen happened._

_Snow's throat being cleared broke the loving embrace. He, Hope, and Lightning were red with embarrassment, as the soldier softly pushed off from the Fang. However, she knew that doing that wouldn't make the group forget what had happened. So, with a false smile, she motioned for Snow to take point. He did so, ushering the other L'Cie ahead of herself and Fang._

_Finally, when she was out of earshot of the rest of the group, she turned back to Fang. A small smile was drawn on her face._

"_By the way, Fang." She said to the warrior, who looked at Lightning intrigued. "You can call me Claire."_

xXxXx_  
_

Fang woke up slowly, her eyes fogged over from pain and tiredness. As her view came into focus, she saw what could pass as a goddess. Her beauty was breathtaking. Her hair fell perfectly from her head, unkempt but not out of place.

It took time for Fang to realize this wasn't a dream of the afterlife, looking around at the carnage around her. Lightning stood before her, the beauty that had captivated her just a minute ago. Slowly, she stood up on her shaky legs, Gamenern aiding her with some support to her back.

"You aren't Cie'th?" She asked the L'Cie, bewildered. Snow shook his head, though Hope was the one who talked.

"We don't think so. We were in some black room or something." He said, his boomerang in his hand, held up in an offensive stance at the destruction that was once Orphan. "We couldn't see or feel anything. Just nothingness."

Sazh agreed, pointing his guns at the collapsing Fal'Cie. "Probably just some Fal'Cie smoke and mirrors, huh?" The chocobo chirped in from the man's afro. "To lure you guys into doing what he wants you to."

Snow punched his hand, giving a nod. "Yeah. Just before we got here, we saw something." He looked towards the Fal'Cie Orphan, his hands in his brawler stance. "A vision of the future or something." Sazh, Hope and Serah agreed.

"Yeah. We were smiling and laughing. Even Lightning." Serah said, holding the dagger loosely in her right hand. Lightning blushed, unnoticed to everyone but Fang, who simply smiled. Lightning held out Fang's lance to the warrior.

"All of us. Even you, Fang." Lightning spoke as Fang took the weapon in her hand. "Together till the end."

Their drive restored, the L'Cie choose to fight for the people of Cocoon now, to free them from their bondage as slaves of the Fal'Cie, not L'Cie, but just as doomed.

The last thing anyone remembered was falling from the sky over Eden, monsters running rampant across the black city, before a darkness overtook them. A deafening roar was heard, the last sound they heard before all was silent. Then, two words were spoken, so clearly, as if the speaker was in their minds.

"Wake up."

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**I need to stop making you guys suffer with cliffhangers...**

**Anyway, just one last chapter to go. I'll try to post it this week, so be patient. I will finish this for you before I post anything else.**

**R&R!  
**


	10. From Prayers to Promises

_**I'll Protect You**_

**Well, here it is. The last chapter of I'll Protect You. Firstly, I would like to thank all the people who've reviewed my story, even the one who didn't quite like it. I can't say it didn't affect me, but I'm certain that this story has gotten better since then. And, to those who don't review but still read (I know you're out there!), I still want to thank you. At the very least, you are enjoying the story, I hope.**

**This chapter is the shortest of all of them, but it's more or less just a final dialogue.**

**Word Count: 2061**

**Disclaimer: I've said it for 9 chapters, and I'll say it one more time. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, it's the property of SE. I sadly own nothing.**__

**Chapter 10: From Prayers to Promises**_**  
**_

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Crystal sleep. That's the only logical reason that Lightning felt so calm after basically destroying her homeland, sending it crashing into Gran Pulse below. It should have made her uneasy. At her hands, millions of innocents were now most likely dead, and the Maker was now scourging what was left of the lands, rebuilding his former world. For all she knew, her crystal may be destroyed now, and that she was simply in the Limbo Gamenern had told her about.

But, when she heard those words, spoken gently yet clearly, quietly yet loudly, she felt the urge to comply. And comply she did.

She awoke with her hand over her heart, looking up at some large crystal pillar. At it's top, there was a large, porcelain sphere, surrounded by even more blue crystal. Cocoon. It was being held up by this pillar of crystal, looking like an explosion that turned to diamond in midair. Then she put the pieces together.

A deafening cry. The feeling of doom. Fang and Vanille separated from the group.

"They did it." She said, not to anyone in general. "They save the world."

"Yeah." Gamenern spoke from his spot in front of Lightning, sitting with one leg stretched out straight, the other bent, where he was resting on of his arms. To his left, his axe lay on the ground, his left hand just inches from the long hilt. "They did, didn't they?" He spoke with a slight pain in his voice.

Lightning stepped forward, sitting on the short cliff that Gamenern was near, her legs dangling over the side. "Why didn't she tell me, though?" Lightning didn't seem angry. She seemed curious, as if it was a plot in a crime novel she was fond of reading. Gamenern audibly shrugged, then sighed.

"She knew what you would do if she told you." He said, his voice low and somber. He knew that Fang wouldn't want him to spill the beans, but he knew Lightning had to know why. "She knew that you would either stop her from doing it, or do it with her without any thought. She wanted to avoid the latter the most, I think." He looked at the back of Lightning's head, trying to decipher the reaction from Lightning. The soldier simply said. "Hmm." before sighing.

"You may not be able to tell this," Gamenern continued, looking back up at the crystal of Cocoon. "But Fang was terribly selfless. She never did anything if it wasn't for the people she loved." Gamenern chuckled slightly as the words left his mouth. "That includes you, y'know?" Again, Lightning hummed at him in response, prompting him to continue. "It was because of me that she even spent that last night with you." Lightning finally made eye contact with the man, not shocked, but almost thankful.

He smiled reassuringly, then motioned back to where they both knew Fang and Vanille were. "Fang didn't want to hurt you, but she also wanted you to rekindle your relationship with Serah." Again, a hum. That was really getting annoying. Still, he went on. "I guess, if Fang could talk to you now, she'd say she's sorry. I know it doesn't mean to much from me, but she truly is. I know." Gamenern sighed as the last words left his mouth. Then, he heard a slight commotion behind him.

Serah and Show were hugging, recently out of stasis. Hope was examining where his brand was, now whitened out but still allowing the use of magic. Sazh was with his son, Dajh, as they talked about the chocobo chick that had been dragged into this as well as Sazh. Gamenern and Lightning smiled, though Lightning moved to the group, leaving Gamenern behind in his thoughts.

"So, you know when you two are getting married?" Hope asked, still unaware that Lightning had walked up. Snow and Serah looked at the soldier, Serah silently asking for permission. With a short sigh, Lightning nodded and said. "Congrats." Serah and Snow both laughed in joy, the younger Farron hugging Lightning. The soldier returned the hug, then looked to Snow. "You keep her safe, you hear me?" Her voice was laced with some coldness, but was genuinely softer than normal. Snow bowed his head, his hand over his heart.

"I will. She will never be hurt again."

Meanwhile, Gamenern was looking over the people who were landing from Cocoon on Gran Pulse. They looked confused and scared, but they were free. Sure, dependency is most evident when the source is gone, but Cocoon folk seemed like hardy people. At least, the ones that Gamenern knew.

His eyes then caught a small jewel flickering in the sunset, a redish-orange light glaring back at him. He moved from the hill, now out of sight of the others, and picked it up, feeling a small pain in his heart.

It was an apple, the same shape and tone as the Eidolith of Vanille. He held the crystal in his hand, up to his heart. He muttered a small prayer, before saying, "Sweet dreams."

"Who ya talking to?" A bubbly voice suddenly asked, causing the man to jump back uncharacteristically. He was in complete awe of what stood before him. There, looking as if nothing had even happened, were Fang and Vanille, both with white brands and not the least bit aware of what had happened.

Gamenern moved his mouth to speak several times, though no sound came out. Finally, when his voice did return to him, he could only mutter one word. "How?"

Fang shook her head slightly. "No clue." She looked back at Cocoon. "One minute we're saving Cocoon from falling on home. Then the next, we wake up at the base of the pillar." Fang seemed just as confused as Gamenern, though all three Pulsians smiled after Fang finished. They all looked up to the ridge, where the sounds of the group were coming from.

"Guess we might as well say we're back, huh?" Fang asked, rubbing the back of her head nervously. Vanille clasped her hands behind her back, and leaned over to Fang. "You mean, you want to take Lightning somewhere private, right?" Despite Fang's glare at the girl, Vanille and Gamenern laughed openly, further annoying the woman. She went to retort, but Gamenern cut her off.

"Lighten up. It's good you've found someone, Fang." He and Vanille both stopped their laughing to look at the Pulsian warrior, this time happy. Vanille nodded silently, then turned back to the ridge. "Let's go, girls." Gamenern said jokingly, motioning to the ridge, leading the two up to the top.

At the top, no one was looking in the direction of Cocoon, so they were behind the group, all of whom were talking, save Lightning, who looked on from a short distance. Gamenern gave one look to Fang, urging her to go. Fang swallowed heavily, then moved up to her lover. Silently, she slid her arms over Lightning's shoulders, crossing them over Lightning's chest. The soldier relaxed into the embrace, her left hand grabbing Fang's right arm lovingly.

"Wondered when this dream would actually begin." Lightning said breathlessly, not heard by the other's, who were still talking amongst themselves. She heard Fang give a wry chuckle, then felt the warrior's breath on her neck.

"So, this is your crystal slumber, huh?" Fang asked, unconvinced and half-annoyed. Lightning nodded silently, her lips curving into a small smile. "Well, if it is, I guess we got all the time in the world, huh?" Again, a nod.

With a simple motion, however, Light's smile turned into a scowl. She felt Fang's teeth nip lightly at the back of her neck, shooting a short pain through her. "What the hell was that?" Light asked angrily, and fairly loudly. All Fang did was smile as her teeth moved from Light's neck.

"Oh, nothing. Making sure it was a dream." Her said in a matter-of-fact tone. Then, she turned her voice into one of (false) wonder. "Did you feel pain?" She failed, however, at keeping her laughter at bay. She giggled uncontrollably into Light's ear.

Once again, Lightning relaxed, slumping back into Fang's arms. The warrior stopped giggling, leaning her head on Light's shoulders. "I'm sorry." She said, her voice now one of regret.

Lightning tilted her head so that it was leaning on Fang's, her eyes closed and a small smile returning to her lips. "I know, Fang. I know." Lightning said with obvious tiredness in her voice. Again, Fang chuckled.

"Look. I would've never kept this from you if I knew it would have to be done." Fang's voice now matched the soldier's tiredness. "Had I known that I would definitely had to go Ragnarok, I would've told you a long time ago." This time, the soldier chuckled.

"Fang, I know, alright?" Lightning moved away, turning to face the Puslian. She took in each feature on the tanned face, and never broke her eye contact. "I understand why you did it." Fang's face lit up slightly, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "You did it for me."

This time, Lightning was the one who embraced the warrior, planting a light kiss on her lips. It was chaste and quick, broken as soon as it came. Fang couldn't let it end there, so she vigorously reinitiated the kiss, deepening it immediately. This newfound intensity took Lightning off guard, though she couldn't hold back the moan of pleasure as Fang's tongue danced viciously with her own. Fang took her time exploring the valley of the soldier's mouth, taking in each flavor the soldier was.

They fought in this passionate, vigorous, romantic battle for what felt like an eternity, though it was most likely a minute or so, seeing as how the duo pulled away due to lack of oxygen. Both women were panting heavily, trying to catch their breath from the kiss. Lightning could still taste Fang's lips on her own: jasmine, sweat, and a slight hint of mint.

Fang was also savoring the strawberry blonde's taste on her own lips. No strawberries, like Fang had expected from the solider, but instead, she tasted roses. You know how, even if you haven't actually tasted something, you can tell how it tastes due to the smell it has? That's how Fang was able to tell that Lightning tasted of roses. Roses and red wine.

Before the two could even say anything, Snow's booming laughter hit their ears, causing them to shuffle away from each other, though in vain. Everyone knew about the two now.

"Hey, don't stop 'cause of us now." He said cheerfully, gaining a glare from Lightning and an elbow to the stomach from Serah. The man clutched at the point of impact, slightly stunned at Serah's newfound physical strength. "Ow! Sorry…" He said, his free hand rubbing the back of his head nervously. Serah just smiled.

"It's good that you finally found someone, Light." She said, though Lightning could only blush at this revelation. That blush got much brighter when Fang slung her arms around Lightning. The huntress had one of the goofiest smiles Light even saw on her face.

"Yeah, Light. No need to be shy." Fang teased, gaining only a playful punch from the solider. Everyone else smiled on, looking at the display before them, watching as the solider was actually happy with Fang. It was refreshing to see, to see Lightning was, indeed, human. She could feel. She could love.

Gamenern had turned back to Oerba, noting the relative closeness of the village. He gave an audible sigh, looking up to the sky.

_We had been through so much. We'd been fighting since the day we were born, since the day we were branded L'Cie. Everything we did was for survival. For everything we cherished. For everything we loved._

_We are still L'Cie. We are still looked at as monsters. We are still going to be treated differently. But, we gave Cocoon a new chance at life. A life without the Fal'Cie. A life free of their tyranny. A life were we can live our own way._

_It'll take time to rebuild. It'll take time before Oerba, before Gran Pulse, is back to it's former grandeur. But it will happen. It will be so. Because when prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in their way._

Fin.

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**It's finished at last. Again, I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me.**

**As far as a sequel goes, you guys tell me if you want one and I'll consider it. I do have a story to go along if there is a sequel, so I can write one up fairly quickly. But, I will be working on my other multichapter fic, and any random one-shots that I feel like posting.**

**So, until then, thank you, and please review.  
**


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